If you look at this screenshot of DNA newspaper’s Bangalore webpage (taken on the midnight of 15-16th December 2008) , you can be sure of one thing: DNA mostly stands for Delayed, No Analysis. Because the first news item (Hoax bomb call) itself is around 30 hours old.
If you look at the right bottom, you can see the news of naxal attack and killing of a farmer, which is almost a week old. When mitramaadhyama could publish a news analysis of the murder by naxalites on the very next day, DNA website carries the news on its homepage as if it happened just on this Sunday!! I clicked the link thinking there was one more murder by naxalites, but it was not so. It was the murder of “current news journalism”.
Usually, the media websites are uploaded regularly when the print product is about to be launched. so that it serves as a curtain raiser. Here, the website looks like a drab job, managed by some drowsy people.
Meanwhile, majority of the paper hawkers today rejected DNA newspaper distribution,alleging that it is forcing them to buy the newspaper, which is already sold to the subscriber, with a full year’s subcription f ee of Rs. 300. The fight is on and the newspaper hawkers have shown their mettle.
If the DNA management sticks to its stand that the paper hawkers have to pay, then it seems it is crossing its limts and violating the very financial norm. Double payement for a single newspaper copy!!
Let us watch the fight. I personally support the cause of the newspaper hawkers. Since the contract is between the newspaper and the subscriber, newspaper hawkers have a limited role: To facilitate timely delivery of the newspaper and get paid for the service.
Do you agree?
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DNA’s, CEO, K.U. Rao was in town yesterday (15-01-2009). Rumours are that people are being sacked from DNA Bombay as well as Bangalore. Inside sources say, that this Rao doesn’t have any experience in Newspaper and all his life sold Lubricants.
What else can you expect from a person who sells condom lubricants. K.U. Rao himself says, Managing Director Sudhir Agarwal doesn’t have a vision. He thinks Karnataka is another Bhopal, and wants to recruit “Bhaiyya’s” from his state like the old Bal Thackeray recruiting Maharashtrians.
Since 2005 DNA Bombay has been struggling to hold it’s strings together. Having a CEO who is known as a BIG mouthed guy in the newspaper industry, leaks out information to competitors. The man with no VISION, can not bring DNA to the TOP.
He was the Global Head of Sales & Business Development for the car care business of Shell Lubricants, London prior to his joining DNA.