The closure of The Telegraph’s Bihar edition points to a very real crisis in journalism

The rumours of The Telegraph’s Bihar edition being shut down had been circulating for quite some time in Patna, especially among the journalist fraternity. When paperboys tossed bundles of newspapers into houses on the morning of December 14, this was found to be true. The front page of The Telegraph had a brief announcement: the Bihar edition of The Telegraph will be discontinued from December 15.

This is the second instance in recent times of editions of a big newspaper shutting shop. Just last year, Hindustan Times announced the discontinuation of four of its editions.

The Telegraph’s reader base in Bihar may not be large, but the news still came as a disappointment to some. Asutosh Kumar Pandey, a regular reader of the newspaper and a social worker, said, “The newspaper has been lying in front of me and now I’m worried by the thought of what I’ll read tomorrow.”

Pandey said The Telegraph had credibility. “Newspapers should be in the role of the opposition and The Telegraph has been doing that role convincingly. As a reader, it seems that this newspaper is a necessity in present times. Its discontinuation in this period is like the spreading of silence.”

According to sources, the Odisha edition of The Telegraph and ABP Group’s newly published Bangla tabloid from Kolkata, Ebela, have also been discontinued. ABP Group is the largest media group in Eastern India with nearly a dozen newspapers, magazines and tabloids, including Anand Bazar Patrika (Bengali), The Telegraph and three news channels. The group also owns a large publishing house.

The Telegraph had a bureau office in Bihar, while the newspaper was printed from Kolkata. According to Deepak Mishra, bureau chief of the Bihar edition, the main reason for the edition’s discontinuation is that it isn’t “financially profitable”. He said, “We have been told by the management that the Bihar version of The Telegraph is not financially profitable. I do not know about the financial aspects of the newspaper, so I will not comment on it. But, as far as the news is concerned, we have given it our best.”

Mishra added, “We highlighted the imperfections of the Bihar government and gave proper space to the Opposition. While highlighting the imperfections of the government, we also got many rejoinders, but we have never been pressured by the government.”

The Bihar edition was also informed by the headquarters that the business of newspaper and media—which had not been profitable earlier owing to GST and demonetisation—was now in deep crisis. This is why the ABP Group decided to discontinue The Telegraph’s Bihar and Odisha editions.  

Journalists working for the Bihar edition disagree. A journalist associated with The Telegraph said, on condition of anonymity, that in recent months, the Bihar edition was given a new target of profitability. The journalist said the newspaper had earned ₹7 crore from the Bihar government (in ad revenues) last month, after which the management gave them a new target of ₹9 crore.

Nearly 25 people worked at the Patna office of The Telegraph. The edition had 16 pages, with news from the state published across three to four pages. The office included six or seven reporters with the rest working in circulation, advertising and other departments. The management has assured all the employees that they’ll receive six months’ salary.

The Telegraph’s entry in Bihar is a recent one. It came in 2010, starting with nine reporters, but over the years, their numbers were reduced. Another journalist associated with the bureau said, “There was a shortage of reporters in the bureau office, but still the small team worked hard and diligently. It was difficult to believe that the Bihar edition was not profitable.”

The staff was not informed about the edition’s discontinuation. However, there were indications that circumstances were not favourable, especially the lack of promotions.

The Bihar edition’s circulation numbers hit 22,000 soon after it launched in 2010—a good number. After demonetisation in November 2016 and subsequently GST, its circulation consistently plummeted. Another journalist associated with The Telegraph in Bihar said circulation remained at 22,000 till one-and-a-half years ago. Gradually, the number reduced to 14,000. In the end, only 8,000-9,000 copies of the newspaper were circulated. A hawker said they were given only those number of copies that were sold in the market.

Only last year, the ABP Group was in the news for mass layoffs. In February 2017, close to 300 employees of the group were discharged from their services. Since then, the jobs of employees here were at risk. 

The group’s decision can also be understood in the context of advertisements in the newspaper. Most advertisements were centralised—advertisements received by the Kolkata edition of The Telegraph were published in the Bihar edition. That means that local advertisements from Bihar were minimal. The state government’s attitude to the newspaper also resulted in them giving fewer advertisements. According to information received from the Information and Public Relations Department of Bihar, on December 13, a total of 46 advertisements were issued by the department but The Telegraph received only three ads and that too for the classified segment.

Similarly, on December 12, the Bihar government issued 86 advertisements (classifieds, tender and displays) which were to be published on December 13. Only one advertisement was given to The Telegraph.

On the contrary, Hindi newspapers receive a sizeable number of advertisements. This is probably why news that questions the government is not given due importance in many mainstream Hindi dailies. The reportage on Muzaffarpur Shelter Home is one example. It was only after the incident made national headlines that local papers picked it up. However, it received prominent space in The Telegraph.

The edition’s readers say The Telegraph never hid facts. Its attitude towards the government was critical from the start. In fact, some government action can be dated to when The Telegraph broke news on various issues. For example, in 2011, the Nitish Kumar government had instructed district magistrates to organise public meetings on a regular basis to personally listen to public grievances. Instead, subordinates were sent to the meetings. When The Telegraph published a detailed report on the issue, the government reissued a written order.

The Telegraph had also published follow-ups to the police investigation of the death of Munger police superintendent KC Surendra Babu at Bheem Dam Sanctuary. Its first story on February 5, 2005, led to the assassination being investigated again. Three people had been arrested. In 2010, when the accused were acquitted, The Telegraph pointed out flaws in the police investigation and said there was enough evidence to prove charges. Consequently, the case was reopened.

Nalin Verma, who was part of the team that started The Telegraph from Bihar, said, “The discontinuation of any newspaper is a sad incident. The newspaper is very important for democracy. The newspaper is the voice of common people. The discontinuation of the newspaper is an end to a platform of the public.” Nalima Verma is currently teaching at a university in Punjab.

Neeraj Gupta, a resident of Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur, is one of the newspaper’s loyal readers and says he doesn’t know what he’ll read now. “The Telegraph had quality news as compared to Hindi newspapers. It is a fact that the number of articles was fewer, but whatever news was published was novel.”

At such a time where a large part of the media has become a cheerleader or is excited to become one, it’s vital for newspapers like this to stay alive—newspapers that shine a light on the true state of the country, society and governance.