Will the print media get a new lease of life?

At the beginning of this writing I pay tribute to Mahbubul Alam, the founding editor of The Independent, who first encouraged me to write a column in English for his daily. He was not only a journalist but also a political thinker. Under his guidance The Independent has become a good English Daily which has proved to be an independent media and has passed through a glorious 22 years. We were good friends, and I still mourn his untimely death. He is no more, but he will be alive in the publication of The Independent.

Few years ago when he asked me to write a column in English for The Independent, I told him that the readership of English newspaper was decreasing. I asked him "Why are you associating with English journalism when you have such a vast experience in Bangla journalism?"  He replied English language is still a powerful link between the global communities. We cannot ignore it. If we ignore it we cannot have a strong position in the international politics”. He further said that not only for English newspapers but a crisis was coming for printing media in all languages, He added that after the innovation of internet and other developments in the IT sector, printing media even in developed countries was going to face a crisis. Mahbubul Alam foresaw this crisis almost ten years ago.  Now this is a reality in the developed countries also. The circulation of established dailies in Europe and America is also decreasing rapidly. The most influential newspapers in Britain like The Times, Telegraph and The Guardian are also facing crisis. People are getting news and views even from the faraway countries very quickly through the internet, various websites and social media.

The Times has already introduced their tabloid edition with the decreased circulation of the broadsheet ones. The Guardian has already turned into tabloid size. Throughout Britain almost hundreds of newspapers have stopped its publication for lack of readership and financial crisis. The same is true for other European countries. In Britain Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her concern for the printing media and said that the crisis in this sector must be resolved immediately, otherwise the country will suffer. She said her government will try to save the industry.

In America also the largest circulated newspapers like The New York Times and The New York Herald are affected by the tide of the electronic media. Even the worldwide circulated weekly magazines like The Times has reduced their pages and lost its power to attract readers from the new generation. The developing countries like Bangladesh and India's printing media are not fully affected yet by the spread of the electronic media because the population of these countries are not yet habituated to using new technology and many of them do not have access to it.

But gradually the situation is turning not in the favour of printing media especially among the younger generation. Now everyone, even rickshaw pullers and uneducated peasants in the village have mobile phones and enjoy all the facilities of the new communication systems. They are now more informed than the people of the last half a century. In the past even a peasant was seen with a transistor radio while ploughing his paddy field. Now the social media has swept the entire media world and is more affective. Even President Donald Trump of America, Narendra Modi of India along with our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and many world  leaders are mainly dependent on twitter and face book. Sheikh Hasina won the election of 2007, on the promise of a 'digital Bangladesh'.

Now the inevitable question is-whether the industry of printing media is facing extinction like the prehistoric dinosaur. The online news website is very popular. Even the future of the publication of printed books is uncertain because of the eBook. The music industry also is not free from the aggression of online. The previous recorded music, even CDs are now fast becoming outdated. Nobody is sure what will happen next. This revolution of technology has changed the face of civilization and pushed human kind towards an unknown future which is going to totally change human behaviour and nature. Whether it is good or bad for the progress of humanity is a big question now.

In the ancient times people used to fight with small arms and the destruction was limited. Now science has taught humankind to produce deadly weapons which can destroy the whole world. The ancient war of Troy or Karbala or Kurukshetra did not pose a threat of the destruction of the world. But the advancement of science has made mankind able to produce more powerful weapon to destroy the entire human civilization. So have we progressed towards a better world or regressed towards doomsday- is now a big question.

Recently some famous scientists of Europe and America predicted that after Donald Trump became the President of America the fear of a nuclear war could become a real threat. If that happens human civilization will be abolished. But others have said, that there is less chance of the destruction of the world by a nuclear war, because now many countries of the world, both big and small, are now in possession of nuclear arms. So there is less chance that one will attack another without thinking of their own destruction. In the end nuclear power will not be used for destruction but to develop the human civilization. So many wise men in the industry hope that the aggression of electronic media will ultimately not destroy printing media but help it to modernize itself and make it more acceptable to the modern readers.

They cite examples from the discovery of radio and television. At that time also some pundits feared that people will abandon printing media and opt for radio and television. They argued that now the television is so much developed that it can reach its viewers anywhere in the world with news and pictures of events and this visual opportunity to know and see the events is more attractive than to read about them in the newspaper which is more time consuming. But that did not happen. Printing media survived this challenge and became more popular and powerful.

Printing media can provide more elaborate news with different analyses and its consequences. This media is not only a newspaper, but also a views paper which affects the reader strongly. This was seen during the general election in the developed countries also. Newspapers have influenced public opinion better than the radio or television. Not long ago it was said that Rupert Murdoch, the owner of The Times and other dailies, could make or break a government in Australia, New Zealand and Britain. His printing media was as powerful as his electronic media.

In spite of the spread of eBook and books on website the demand for printing books still exist and even in some developed countries the sale of books has not decreased much. In the book fairs of Dhaka and Kolkata the selling of books is rising. The book fair in Frankfurt in Germany is a big success. Modern technology has helped the easy printing and mass production of a huge number of books. Modern book publishers are developing a new format of book publication. The production of a book needs an artist to design the book and its cover   artistically. Satyajit Ray first became famous not as a film maker but as an artist of a book cover. A survey among book readers in France showed that people still prefer to read printed books in a leisurely comfort rather than to read eBook or books in website. This is a question of habit and the old generation differs in their opinions with the younger generation in this respect.

Some scientists say the dependence on science will benefit the mankind but also affect their healthy growth. The growth of world population is very rapid, but they are losing their usefulness. Science is replacing the human beings in their daily lives also. So in near future robot may replace working class people and create a worldwide crisis. One example from the last century is that after Rupert Murdoch took over The Times, thousands of printing workers were sacked and replaced by only 100 mechanical printing workers. They were called 'white collar labourers'.

Previously, The Times had a compositor's section where thousands of compositors were employed. With the development of mono and lino composition, and now with the computerized word composer, few people can replace thousands of workers and print the paper. The Times authority took the opportunity and sacked thousands of word-setting workers and employed hundreds of white collar labourers. The sacked workers called for strike and continued it for months but they did not succeed. With a Tory government's help The Times authority crushed the strike and survived a great crisis.

Then the left parties of Britain realized that the old theory of Karl Marx regarding the power of workers has changed. Armed with new technology a white collar working class emerged. The global capitalism has captured the new technology and a new working class. This class is not a friend of working class movement but a protégé of global capitalism. Now the class struggle originally described by Karl Marx has totally changed. If the Left forces of the world can realize this and change their tactics only then they can win the final war with capitalism. Otherwise, their future is bleak.

Like electronic media the printing media is also now mostly under the ownership of global capitalism and the production of a printed newspaper is easier for them because of the trade union power is reduced and workers cannot threat the owners to establish their rights and demand for press freedom. Though, printing media is facing a temporary crisis they will not be extinct like the prehistoric dinosaurs. They will march forward with the progress of technology and survive the present crisis, it is the hope of many people like me.

If the new technology and electronic media can be freed from the capitalist class by a new worldwide working class movement, only then printing media also will have a new lease of life and can be a vanguard for real freedom of press and human rights. There is a proverb, the world is changing rapidly, but the old pattern comes back with a new face. Printing media will also change but will not perish. Newspaper reading is a strong habit among mankind. That will keep printing media alive with a new form or format. In this world nothing is old or new, everything has a transformation and a new look. The same truth is applicable for printing media also.

    London, Thursday 15 March, 2018

 

Will the print media get a new lease of life?

At the beginning of this writing I pay tribute to Mahbubul Alam, the founding editor of The Independent, who first encouraged me to write a column in English for his daily. He was not only a journalist but also a political thinker. Under his guidance The Independent has become a good English Daily which has proved to be an independent media and has passed through a glorious 22 years. We were good friends, and I still mourn his untimely death. He is no more, but he will be alive in the publication of The Independent. Few years ago when he asked me to write a column in English for The Independent, I told him that the readership of English newspaper was decreasing. I asked him Why are you associating with English journalism when you have such a vast experience in Bangla journalism? He replied English language is still a powerful link between the global communities. We cannot ignore it. If we ignore it we cannot have a strong position in the international politics. He further said that not only for English newspapers but a crisis was coming for printing media in all languages, He added that after the innovation of internet and other developments in the IT sector, printing media even in developed countries was going to face a crisis. Mahbubul Alam foresaw this crisis almost ten years ago. Now this is a reality in the developed countries also. The circulation of established dailies in Europe and America is also decreasing rapidly. The most influential newspapers in Britain like The Times, Telegraph and The Guardian are also facing crisis. People are getting news and views even from the faraway countries very quickly through the internet, various websites and social media. The Times has already introduced their tabloid edition with the decreased circulation of the broadsheet ones. The Guardian has already turned into tabloid size. Throughout Britain almost hundreds of newspapers have stopped its publication for lack of readership and financial crisis. The same is true for other European countries. In Britain Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her concern for the printing media and said that the crisis in this sector must be resolved immediately, otherwise the country will suffer. She said her government will try to save the industry. In America also the largest circulated newspapers like The New York Times and The New York Herald are affected by the tide of the electronic media. Even the worldwide circulated weekly magazines like The Times has reduced their pages and lost its power to attract readers from the new generation. The developing countries like Bangladesh and Indias printing media are not fully affected yet by the spread of the electronic media because the population of these countries are not yet habituated to using new technology and many of them do not have access to it. But gradually the situation is turning not in the favour of printing media especially among the younger generation. Now everyone, even rickshaw pullers and uneducated peasants in the village have mobile phones and enjoy all the facilities of the new communication systems. They are now more informed than the people of the last half a century. In the past even a peasant was seen with a transistor radio while ploughing his paddy field. Now the social media has swept the entire media world and is more affective. Even President Donald Trump of America, Narendra Modi of India along with our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and many world leaders are mainly dependent on twitter and face book. Sheikh Hasina won the election of 2007, on the promise of a digital Bangladesh. Now the inevitable question is-whether the industry of printing media is facing extinction like the prehistoric dinosaur. The online news website is very popular. Even the future of the publication of printed books is uncertain because of the eBook. The music industry also is not free from the aggression of online. The previous recorded music, even CDs are now fast becoming outdated. Nobody is sure what will happen next. This revolution of technology has changed the face of civilization and pushed human kind towards an unknown future which is going to totally change human behaviour and nature. Whether it is good or bad for the progress of humanity is a big question now. In the ancient times people used to fight with small arms and the destruction was limited. Now science has taught humankind to produce deadly weapons which can destroy the whole world. The ancient war of Troy or Karbala or Kurukshetra did not pose a threat of the destruction of the world. But the advancement of science has made mankind able to produce more powerful weapon to destroy the entire human civilization. So have we progressed towards a better world or regressed towards doomsday- is now a big question. Recently some famous scientists of Europe and America predicted that after Donald Trump became the President of America the fear of a nuclear war could become a real threat. If that happens human civilization will be abolished. But others have said, that there is less chance of the destruction of the world by a nuclear war, because now many countries of the world, both big and small, are now in possession of nuclear arms. So there is less chance that one will attack another without thinking of their own destruction. In the end nuclear power will not be used for destruction but to develop the human civilization. So many wise men in the industry hope that the aggression of electronic media will ultimately not destroy printing media but help it to modernize itself and make it more acceptable to the modern readers. They cite examples from the discovery of radio and television. At that time also some pundits feared that people will abandon printing media and opt for radio and television. They argued that now the television is so much developed that it can reach its viewers anywhere in the world with news and pictures of events and this visual opportunity to know and see the events is more attractive than to read about them in the newspaper which is more time consuming. But that did not happen. Printing media survived this challenge and became more popular and powerful. Printing media can provide more elaborate news with different analyses and its consequences. This media is not only a newspaper, but also a views paper which affects the reader strongly. This was seen during the general election in the developed countries also. Newspapers have influenced public opinion better than the radio or television. Not long ago it was said that Rupert Murdoch, the owner of The Times and other dailies, could make or break a government in Australia, New Zealand and Britain. His printing media was as powerful as his electronic media. In spite of the spread of eBook and books on website the demand for printing books still exist and even in some developed countries the sale of books has not decreased much. In the book fairs of Dhaka and Kolkata the selling of books is rising. The book fair in Frankfurt in Germany is a big success. Modern technology has helped the easy printing and mass production of a huge number of books. Modern book publishers are developing a new format of book publication. The production of a book needs an artist to design the book and its cover artistically. Satyajit Ray first became famous not as a film maker but as an artist of a book cover. A survey among book readers in France showed that people still prefer to read printed books in a leisurely comfort rather than to read eBook or books in website. This is a question of habit and the old generation differs in their opinions with the younger generation in this respect. Some scientists say the dependence on science will benefit the mankind but also affect their healthy growth. The growth of world population is very rapid, but they are losing their usefulness. Science is replacing the human beings in their daily lives also. So in near future robot may replace working class people and create a worldwide crisis. One example from the last century is that after Rupert Murdoch took over The Times, thousands of printing workers were sacked and replaced by only 100 mechanical printing workers. They were called white collar labourers. Previously, The Times had a compositors section where thousands of compositors were employed. With the development of mono and lino composition, and now with the computerized word composer, few people can replace thousands of workers and print the paper. The Times authority took the opportunity and sacked thousands of word-setting workers and employed hundreds of white collar labourers. The sacked workers called for strike and continued it for months but they did not succeed. With a Tory governments help The Times authority crushed the strike and survived a great crisis. Then the left parties of Britain realized that the old theory of Karl Marx regarding the power of workers has changed. Armed with new technology a white collar working class emerged. The global capitalism has captured the new technology and a new working class. This class is not a friend of working class movement but a protg of global capitalism. Now the class struggle originally described by Karl Marx has totally changed. If the Left forces of the world can realize this and change their tactics only then they can win the final war with capitalism. Otherwise, their future is bleak. Like electronic media the printing media is also now mostly under the ownership of global capitalism and the production of a printed newspaper is easier for them because of the trade union power is reduced and workers cannot threat the owners to establish their rights and demand for press freedom. Though, printing media is facing a temporary crisis they will not be extinct like the prehistoric dinosaurs. They will march forward with the progress of technology and survive the present crisis, it is the hope of many people like me. If the new technology and electronic media can be freed from the capitalist class by a new worldwide working class movement, only then printing media also will have a new lease of life and can be a vanguard for real freedom of press and human rights. There is a proverb, the world is changing rapidly, but the old pattern comes back with a new face. Printing media will also change but will not perish. Newspaper reading is a strong habit among mankind. That will keep printing media alive with a new form or format. In this world nothing is old or new, everything has a transformation and a new look. The same truth is applicable for printing media also. London, Thursday 15 March, 2018