Though I would usually reserve my comments about any publication, I think this initiative deserves attention. This morning, I was extremely pleasantly surprised to see the front page of ET. It had only positive news. Then I saw the anchor advertisement from IBM and it said STOP TALKING START DOING and seemed to reinforce the positivity of the front page.
There could be two possibilities - either the editorial team at ET has been very creative or its marketing team has. I am really not worried about which is the cause and which the effect because, either way, there are many learnings that everyone can draw from this.
Most importantly, ET demonstrated what was seemingly impossible; that despite the current circumstances, the front page of a leading business publication can be fully positive. The front page news headlines were Home loan rates cut, Global telcos dial RCOM for stake, Big guns eye Andhra Cements, HCL to complete Axon deal, India Inc beats slowdown blues, and some more... Today's ET front page transported me back to a few months when there was no stopping the Indian juggernaut. Also, from the make of the news the Indian slowdown seemed to have shaken off quite completely and decisively.
The lessons to be learnt are many, but I am going to stick to the most basic. The reason that publications weild their enormous power is because the readers get influenced by them. While thoughts have the power to generate words, Words too have the power to influence thought. Positive news, usage of positive words, naturally tend to create a more positive spirit and outlook in the reader. Positive outlook in turn helps get positive action which in turn gives better outputs & outcomes.
I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that today's front page was a result of an editorial meet. I just hope that the surprise that met most ET readers in the morning, will become a more long-term editorial policy through direct choice of giving preference to positive news over negative ones. Chances are that if it works, other publications may also make the choice towards creating positive change.
There's more. And at the outset I must state my position, lest someone mistake my intent. I truly dont mind it even if today's ET front page was a consequence of a brilliant marketing effort. In fact, quite to the contrary of taking offense, I think the anchor advertisement in the front page reinforces its viability because it shows that positive news makes commercial sense too. If IBM had not advertised in the page, the initiative may not be sustainable. However, because this initiative made monetary sense to someone of IBM's stature, I am confident that this has the makings of a movement.
See the sense it would make to businesses. Businesses, as much as anyone else, want the optimism to return in the environment and they are willing to support it by advertising where positive news will occur. It brings positive connotations to the company advertising in that page. Maybe this will even see a new category of advertising (a request for placement of an advertisement near positive news).
Thus could begin an intrinsic positive movement. Companies choose to advertise in pages which have more positive news; and as more corporates see the rationale of doing this, more positive news will be chosen over the negative ones and this will begin generating positive influence on the environment, and finally there will a positive sentiment in the environment. I know it is simplistic rather than simple, but this is the bird's eye view. Deeper down, there could be smaller positive cycles to this larger socio-economic positive system.
This therefore brings us the question of responsibility. While publications have a responsibility, we must remember that it is the readers and the news generators that the publications reflect. To the primary audience, the reader I urge that if they see merit in the initiative of positive news they must make the opinion count by talking, writing about it. To the generators of news, the corporates, it is extremely important that they take specific care they also make the choice; the choice of generating news through positive associations than through negative ones.
If all of us do our bit, India will truly look like the front page of the ET today.
To see the article please visit http://www.bluebytes.info/Attachments/ET.jpg
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1 comment:
This is indeed one positive initiative.
Have seen lot of newspapers give away their complete first page for advertisements, only if more of them would use it innovatively in this fashion.
As mentioned, it would be simply great to see advertisers seek space around positive news :)
Cheers to "PositivET"!
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