Why I am not a great fan of TOI (hate is too strong an emotion for a newspaper)

Reason 1: Syndicate news: It’s rare to find an original article written in the paper, almost like searching for a needle in the haystack. Don’t believe me, try this simple exercise – if you read a great article one day, just google up the article and you’ll find the same story in various international papers, and would have probably originated somewhere in a small time newspaper in America or Europe, or an online article. True story.


Reason 2: ‘Glamour sells’ is their motto: They feed people with pictures and gossip rather than well written articles. So first thing in the morning whether I like it or not, my mind’s not the one that’s stimulated… WTF? No wonder this city’s going to the dumps.

Reason 3: Commercial to the core: Whenever they do find an original idea, its usually reader suggested, or some activist / social cause motivated. It’s a great effort, if you are not profiteering from it. Don’t tell people what to think and then make yourself the banker and pocket the money. I loathe their efforts in trying to ‘change India’.. To what? To something that they like, that they can sell?? Yes, they are good at Marketing – valid point, but it doesn’t mean that you replace creativity and opinions with marketing materials!

And the list goes on.. sure I like the odd gems that sometimes shine out from the big pile of s… hay, but hey who am I kidding. Never realized newspaper was essential part of the day until I started reading TOI!