Changing face of Chennai's ELM

The launch of the Chennai edition of the Times of India has not only rattled The Hindu, but also the Express. The Express went in for a complete design re-jig and a full page banner screamed "Ahead of the Times". I must say the new look is indeed cool. Our own Hindu on its part has been bending backwards making frantic efforts to stay relevant. It has redesigned the Retail Plus supplement, has introduced Metro Weekend in a tabloid format and launched an altogether new supplement Nxg (which actually looks good) targeting the teens. This is in addition to Ergo , the tabloid from the Hindu stable which , as reported previously in this bog, is being circulated free of cost.Ergo is surprisingly politically and ideologically neutral (politics is not the mainstay of the tabloid).I have read critical reports on Chinese politics unlike the Xinhua garbage thrust on the readers of The Hindu. Could it be that Karthik S-and not N Ram- is the Editor ?

Now, The Hindu did not stop with that. This blog previously commented that ToI with its predatory pricing may cripple The Hindu financially. There are already signs of that happening. The Hindu today cut its cover price for the Chennai edition to Rs 2.50 (from the current 3.25). The Sunday issue will now be available for Rs 3.00 instead of the exorbitant Rs 4.50 . These changes are effective April 14- the very day ToI is launching its Chennai edition.

Ironically, today's issue that carried this price drop announcement also carried a column by Sevanti Ninan that talked about the rising cost of newsprint. I think it is time for N Ram to encash his loyalty. Expect more pro-China "exclusives" in the run up to this.