Unarguably the only human pursuit that must comply with the factor of punctuality is production of dailies in various languages of the land. Not all readers are aware of the sleepless nights that their managements experience in ensuring their deslivery at the doorstep of the subscribing readers virtually on the dot. Reporters, copy-writers, printing crew, the tribe in the distribution system, apart from the machines in the press and communication channels have no option other than working in union, all for ensuring continued patronising of their favourite rag, particularly in an atmosphere of cut-throat competition on the dog-eat-dog lines. Features of the periodicals such as coverage of goings on, matter portraying the conduct of vote-mongers, acts of criminal nature, information pertaining to civic requirements with deadlines for citizens to comply with, articles by seasoned writers on subjects in a wide range, print quality, desire of columnists to see their writings in print, layout and what have you that different sections of readers adore are themselves volatile. Hardly any reader interacts with the crew in the press or the management on the above issues.
The history of newspaper is traced to an era of distant past when neither paper nor printing technology existed. Whatever had to be conveyed to the citizens is said to have been etched on stone slabs and placed at a prominent public place in ancient Greece. That journalism, per force, dictated decision-making on publishing matter, with greatest care unlike in modern times, when print ’n’ be damned is the principle.
