TOI Goofs Up Again

We Times of India (TOI) readers don't expect much from it. We know the news will have its bias, lots of pages will be wasted on tabloid-worthy news, and there will be ads of indiatimes, Planet M and other sister concerns masquerading as news. All we ask is to give us the content where we are used to reading it. That is the only reason we are addicted to the newspaper.

The Mumbai edition today saw another goof up. Maybe the editor had a dose of Bhaang before editing the newspaper. Maybe it was the columnists. Maybe it was just the intoxication of being a superbrand. Because today (14 March 2006), in the Mumbai edition, there appears the same article twice, under different headings. On page 16, which happens to be dedicated International News, there is an article by Rashmee Roshan Lall, titled "Low Skilled EU losing out to Asian big guns". The same article by the same columnist also appears on its Business page (page 17) under the title "Old Europe may lose out to young Asia".

Those in Mumbai (or subscribers of Mumbai edition) may check out the pages for a laugh. Others can log on to TOI's E-paper if you have an indiatimes (free) login, selecting Mumbai as the city. Click on international --> 16, and business --> 17 (in case one needs to check it after today, one may go to the archives).

I think the Times group, after being voted a superbrand, is taking its Mumbai readers too lightly. Yes, the newspaper comes in the form of a thick bundle, with N number of supplements (including the tabloid called Mumbai Mirror). But hardly any of the supplements contains anything worth being called news. With Hindustan Times and DNA biting on TOI's heels, it will not be long before a bored audience switches over to one of these. (As for me, I have subscribed to both TOI and HT).