Jagran Juggernaut: Dainik Jagran's plan to buy Nai Dunia creates stir in Hindi news media, hits Bhaskar

Dainik Jagran group's plan to buy daily Nai Dunia is giving jitters to Dainik Bhaskar, a clear leader in Central India.

It is Jagran's masterstroke for more than one reasons. Firstly, Jagran had hardly any presence in Central India. Its editions at Bhopal and Rewa didn't have much credibility. Jagran's Bhopal edition though old is now fifth or sixth in terms of circulation after Bhaskar, Patrika, Raj Express and Peoples' Samachar among others.

Jagran in MP is mostly read by the lower-middle class or at tea stalls where its weekly crime tabloid Satyakatha that appears on Tuesday is eagerly awaited. It is rarely subscribed at homes because of the nature of Satyakatha that has sex, sleaze and photos of semi-clad women.

Nai Dunia has credibility, reach in MP-Chhattisgarh

Secondly. Though Nai Dunia is also a sinking ship, in its new avatar it gained circulation in Bhopal. Its new editions in Chhattisgarh are doing well. Nai Dunia and its Bhopal-version Nav Duniya have credibility and also loyal readers in Malwa region around Indore.

With Nai Dunia, Jagran will need a established newspaper in entire Central India ie. MP and Chhattisgarh. Jagran is already strong in North India. In UP, Bhaskar is yet to make a move and the family with which Agarwals are in a titular suit are publishing just Jhansi edition from that state.

Fearing worst Bhaskar opened new editions and also under different brand name 'Divya Bhaskar', as in case of losing the case, the name can be changed to more known title that would not sound too different to the reader. It started DB star daily tabloid to push it brand.

So Dainik Bhaskar can be identified as DB Group. Despite all its efforts, Bhaskar is yet to become India's leading newspaper. Though lead was thin, Jagran was the leader. Now with Jagran group gaining established paper in MP-CG that has editions in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Raipur, Bilaspur and other cities, it can give a run to Bhaskar as far as national reach is concerned.

Bouquet of English, Hindi and Urdu papers

Thirdly. For advertisers, Jagran will be a good option now. Jagran has also acquired English newspaper Mid Day, a strong Urdu newspaper Inquilab that now has nearly 12 editions in the country including Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Moradabad, Aligarh and Kanpur.

Jagran is thus making the right moves. Guptas seem to have finally realised that Bhaskar was growing too fast and had to be tamed. With Nai Dunia, Inquilab, Mid Day, the group is now going from strength to strength.

Will Bhaskar remain silent? They have made forays in Gujarat and Maharashtra. But Gujrati and Marathi papers are still considered regional. Unlike English, Hindi or Urdu papers that have national character. Let's wait for Bhaskar's strategy as to

Blackout in Bihar: Media ignores police firing in Forbesganj

Indian Media has committed an unpardonable sin. Most of the mainstream newspapers and channels either ignored the police firing on villagers in Bihar's Forbesganj or just gave the news a single column space.

Some 'national' dailies who get advertisements from Bihar government did not report the incident for 3-4 days. Only when it became impossible to suppress the news, that the report about the killing of four persons in Forbesganj (Araria) was printed.

This is a shameful chapter in Indian journalism. If there are police excesses, it is the duty of media to report. Even authorities don't expect the journalists to stoop this low and stop publishing the reports that go against the government.

Major Hindi newspapers--Dainik Jagran and Hindustan did not publish a single line about this massacre for almost a week. Once the same media hounded Lalu Prasad Yadav. Today it doesn't dare write a line when there are brutal killings in Bihar.

But a section of media that comprises sycophant journalists have taken up the task to ensure that no word against the Nitish Kumar government goes in the press. Are they journalists or 'dalaals' taking up the job to 'manage' and take care of the government's PR.

National Hindi dailies and English newspapers published from Patna are mostly guilty of this cover up. But they forget that in this age, it is impossible to stop a news. Forbesganj killings has become a major issue and it would trouble Bihar government in coming days.

As far as media is concerned, it has once again failed in its primary task. Channels like NDTV, CNN IBN and Times Now have also followed suit. They either ignored the news or deliberately tried to stop this story from reaching the viewers.

This is undoubtedly Indian media's shame. The top guns in Indian journalism and the media houses must answer. If the so-called pillar of Indian democracy is crumbling, can we sit silent and merely watch?