The digital divide

The questions publishers tackle online, and their responses are the same anywhere in the world

And India, where publishing is still going through its online tutorial, is no different. Publishers have to be clear about what they want to do online, they have to tackle cultural challenges that going online involves and tech is a big spooky thing that most hate dealing with. All this talk of ‘productising the content’ baffles them. And then there are revenues. The gap between what a brand gets for an online reader/viewer is usually a tenth or less than offline.

Some of the most successful online publishers in India — Times Internet, The Express Group, Vikatan — have tackled these questions for years before hitting the right notes. Times Internet, the digital arm of one of India’s largest media groups, has chosen to become this wide arching firm that facilitates transactions online (through ET Money or Dineout among other brands), bought a video player and made it a streaming brand (MX Player) and has worked hard at putting data science and tech at the centre of its universe.

Source | Business Standard | 10^th April 2019 – Print Version – Page Number 8