TMR 2022: Can legacy and digital media be allies?

Why do legacy and digital media in India seem to be caught in a tussle? Can they not learn from and work with each other? Are there no grounds for cooperation to begin with?

These questions made for an arresting discussion at The Media Rumble 2022 session titled "Legacy and Digital Media: Synergies and Conflicts". The speakers were Indrajit Gupta, founding editor of the Indian edition of Forbes; Sumit Chauhan, founding Editor of The News Beak; T Surendar, managing editor at The Morning Context; and Nikhil Kanekal, head of subscriber experience at LiveMint. The session was moderated by Manisha Pande of Newslaundry.

"Digital media can learn about how mainstream media has been able to create genuine value for millions of views over the lifetime, there is great affinity that legacy brand users have towards those brands, like you hear older people saying, 'Oh I can't start my day without reading XYZ newspaper'," said Kanekal.

Chauhan spoke about the "huge gap" in reporting on caste atrocities by the mainstream media. "Unless there is caste atrocity like Hathras, Lakhimpur Kheri," he added. "They will cover us only when somebody rapes us, beat us or any brutal atrocity happens to us and the video comes out on social media." 

Text by Hardik Dogra.

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