The current COVID-19 pandemic has placed frontline workers especially doctors, nurses and healthcare workers under immense and unprecedented pressure, putting their physical, mental and social well-being at risk. Though the environment may be different, there is an often ignored group of frontline workers – the fourth frontline worker called the print media, who like the other frontline workers, have been playing a very responsible role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by educating as well as keeping the masses well-informed at a time when social media gets flooded by fake news and unconfirmed news. And in spite of the unprecedented crisis which has affected even top media houses like The Times Group, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Business Standard, the print media houses in Nagaland have silently borne the brunt while giving their best efforts to keep the paper in circulation and reach out to the masses.
Earlier, this paper had carried a three part series on the impact of COVID-19 on newspaper industry in Nagaland and it glaringly brought out the deep existential crisis it has plunged into. Serious challenges are the significant decline in subscription and readership, dwindling advertisements and a serious disruption in circulation. Within these challenges, the media houses in Nagaland have had to make drastic changes from cutting down on the number of pages to a shift towards e-news in order to keep the masses well-informed in spite of the pressing challenges.
It is a sad contrast that while the COVID-19 pandemic has had an escalating effect on the price of commodities, newspapers do not or cannot enjoy that luxury of increasing the price, rather it has filled the gap of declining subscription and readership by pushing up the e-newspaper, and WhatsApp compatible template news for free, which could easily be made into a revenue generating source.
From being the ‘fourth’ frontline worker in the current pandemic to being the ‘Fourth Estate’ forming the fourth pillar of democracy besides executive, legislative and judiciary, it is time for the Government to treat the media especially the print as an equal pillar tasked with the responsibility of building a democratic society. Media is not simply a medium but a ‘voice’ that is both implicitly and explicitly capacitated to penetrate the existing systems. And as an integral pillar of democracy, in times as such, when it is struggling on various fronts starting from financial constraints, it needs the support of not only the masses, but more so the government. Beginning with clearing the “government baki” will really ease the financial backlog. Further, the Government also needs to ensure that all media houses are ‘cared’ for in all fairness without ‘privileging’ a few based on quantity and readership especially when it comes to advertisements which forms a major component of revenue generation.
Above all, in the current pandemic, the print media house needs to be given due recognition as the ‘fourth’ frontline worker which has been playing a crucial role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic despite the challenges best known to them.
(Dr. Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
