Gowhar Bhat
SRINAGAR: Till the recent past, it would regularly sell hundreds of copies of newspapers published from the National capital Delhi.
But now Khan News Agency, one of the leading newspaper distributors in Srinagar, says it sells only “30 odd copies of each”.
With internet sites gradually overtaking and replacing local print media all over the world, the current shift from newspapers towards their online alternatives has taken on an air of inevitability.
In Kashmir Valley too, more and more people now prefer to take their daily dose of news and information online, using computers, tabs and smart phones.
“This has has resulted in the decline of sales of hard copies,” says Hilal Ahmed Khan, owner of Khan News Agency.
Earlier, I used to sell the bundles of national newspapers but not now. The sale has come down drastically – Hilal Ahmed Khan
With a tight political situation in the valley, people have always been keen to be abreast of the developments in New Delhi.
But Mr Khan says for the past three years the sale of Indian national newspapers such as The Times of India, Hindustan Times and The Hindu is witnessing a constant slump.
“Earlier, I used to sell the bundles of national newspapers but not now. The sale has come down drastically,” he says.
With news available on the digital editions and via smart phone apps — across various mobile platforms with live updates — many say the news in the newspapers is a bit stale.
“I prefer to read news online or through a smart phone app. The news is updated live and fast,” explains Zuhaib Qureshi, a trained computer engineer and ardent news buff.
“Also I share it there with my friends and followers on social media like Facebook and Twitter. There is no fun reading the same news again in tomorrow’s newspaper,” he adds.
A copy of The Indian Express costs Rs 11 in Srinagar while a copy of The Hindu costs Rs 13.
Another reason for the slump of the printed copies is the increasing price of newsprint. All newspapers cost around 5 Rupees and more on weekends. With the air surcharge the prices go double. A copy of The Indian Express costs Rs 11 in Srinagar while a copy of The Hindu costs Rs 13.
“It’s simple logic. Why would a person pay so much when he can read it free on his tab or smart phone,” explains, Tariq Shafi, a blogger, who prefers to read news online.
The local newspapers, however, still form an integral part of the mornings here.
This is despite the fact that most of the local dailies have come up even with the mobile version of their online sites in order to keep up with the demand of online readership.
