Firstpost print will be an amalgam of contemporary journalism delivered with conventional panache
New Delhi: Eight years after Firstpost.com became the go to destination for the argumentative Indian, Network18, India’s most diversified media conglomerate, will be launching its very first weekly newspaper – Firstpost. Firstpost was born at the cusp of India’s digital revolution in 2010 and has been a major beneficiary of the same. As more and more readers shifted to laptops and mobiles to consume and interact with news, the brand cemented its place as India’s boldest viewspaper. In the eight years of its existence as a news brand it has become the go to place for quick, bold and insightful opinion writing. It is growing robustly and intends to take Firstpost.com to new heights of user experience and engagement in the coming months. Through various soon-to-be launched initiatives such as Club Firstpost and the Firstpost App we aim to engage with the users to delight them. The launch of Firstpost as a weekend newspaper is a part of that effort.
BV Rao, Editor, Firstpost explains, “By taking the viewspaper from the virtual to the physical world we are signaling two things: Firstly, there is a market opportunity in the weekends for deep, thoughtful and reflective journalism, the kind that allows us to step-back from the cacophony of the moment and analyze events calmly. Thus, the difference between the two products is not the quality of the content, but the kind of content. Secondly, content is platform-agnostic, especially good content. The digital consumer reads a lot but not necessarily the best. Reading the best becomes somewhat of a lottery, dependent on whether they open the right links from among the dozens they are dumped with every day. Firstpost print content, arranged to enable quick access in one place, will provide that reading pleasure to digital readers as well. Existing digital readers can access the content free for a limited period and then signal their readiness to put a premium on the content they cherish.”
Praveen Swami, Group Consulting Editor, Network18 says, “Firstpost is a new kind of newspaper. Instead of the usual, mundane recounting of events already well-known to readers through digital media and television, every single article aspires to exceptionality: to offer a unique perspective; to excavate new information; to bring to life a new story”.
Positioning itself as the last word on news, Firstpost will be a 20-page broadsheet appearing every Saturday and shall cater to readers in Mumbai and New Delhi. Aiming to change the way in which the consumer perceives newspapers, Firstpost emphasizes on narrative, long format journalism with a focus on national politics, culture, and art and being a mix of hard and soft feature news.
With a strong and vibrant design, the newspaper has been designed by Jacek Utko, arguably the most reputed newspaper designer of the world. Firstpost aims to be a reader’s delight with the finest quality of newsprint and high standards of printing.
Speaking on the launch, an elated Rahul Kansal, Business Head, Print & Brand Advisor, Network18, said “I am extremely proud to be a part of this milestone in the journey of Network18’s growing news prowess. Firstpost sees itself as a ‘viewspaper’ with a focus on politics, and will offer a ringside view of the complex democracy and society of our multi-dimensional nation. The offering will serve discerning readers looking for an intelligent read, many of whom feel that Indian newspapers have dumbed down in their bid to capture the mass market.”
The viewspaper will be hit the stands in Delhi NCR and Mumbai on 26 January, Republic Day. To begin with it will be available for subscription in certain pincodes of these cities. Subscriptions will be booked through two routes: point of contact through vendors and online through Firstpost.com.
