Is TOI the online version of Mayapuri?

One could find this Mayapuri (hindi) magazine at any barber shop (hair salon) in India. It was a glossy magazine full of filumi gossips

For last 1 or 2 years the Times of India (TOI) website is pulling an online Mayapuri on it's readers. The main aim of the writer seems to stir up the hornet's nest, be it any field - politics, cricket, entertainment, etc.

They've taken the sole responsibility to sex (read as s-l-e-a-z-e) educate Indians. Every day's headline has one such headline, say for today

Goodnight, no time for sex

Not to mention the right frame of advertises and sexplicit photos! Before the advent of F/F and google pop-up blocker, opening TOI in Internet Explore at work place was inviting for embarrassment if any colleague walked in your cubicle. Thanks to F/F’s Adblocker and popup blocker features to control the view at ease.

If Mayapuri was filumi gossip magazine then TOI is online gossip website for any news. Does anyone feel like that or I’m the only one in minority?

Vai, on Jul 28 2005, 10:51 PM, said:

The article seemed pretty tame to me. I also didn't see the sex advertisements you mentioned.

I think it has been a tabloid in the making since the 90s and all the city editions began featuring glossy pictures and the now so-called "Page 3" type news. What's more disturbing about the print media is how every other newspaper is also going the TOI way in order to survive its competition. Have you seen the Hindustan Times lately, or even the Express, for all its investigative journalism? All they care about in their headlines is Mallika Sherawat.

I find it hilarious (most of the time) to check the headlines of all the papers on samachar.com and see how many of them are "don't believe in pre-marital sex, says <starlet>", "will only strip if the role demands it, says <another starlet>", "Indians terrible in bed: shocking survey" and things like that.

In the midst of all this, you have the stolid Hindu, doggedly continuing with "New energy policy aimed at poor, PM insists".

frangipani, on Jul 29 2005, 06:52 PM, said:

troo, troo!

I used to read the HindustanTimes too but stopped reading it because of silly pop-ups (they were irritating) and the page 3 type of news. They had some good writers and they covered cricket news very well.

Among the current lot, for desi news I like:

http://rediff.com
http://ww1.mid-day.com/
http://www.telegraphindia.com
http://www.outlookindia.com
http://www.indianexpress.com
http://www.hindu.com/

then TOI, HT, samachar.com, www.mouthshut.com, for killing some free time.

For sports news
www.cricinfo.com, www.thatscricket.com, www.newindpress.com, www.cricketnext.com


I guess, I'm just sucker for news. I think, it started back in India, when I used to wake up early mroning to get my hands first on the daily newspaper beating my siblings and dad (maTA - Maharashtra Times, lokasatthA, TOI). I had my mental alarm clock set at the foot tappings of the newspaper boy. I used to open the door before he dropped the newspaper in the doorway :D

We friends always had a debate whether maTA is better than lokasatthA (Marathi news papers) or otherwise -a never ending debate with each newspaper having its own fan club. Occasionally, I picked up mid-day from news stalls at stations on the way back from college/work. Then there was, psst, psst to the next passenger in train/bus to read his newspaper during the commute :D

Edited by Vai, 29 July 2005 - 09:33 PM.

There is a growing issue of alcoholism,violence as well as lack of conjugal relations amongst the fast growing urban professionals in the IT field in India, according to some health professionals in Bangalore. While I do not have the details of studies; I vaguely remember reading this as a Q&A comment in one of the journals or newspapers.

Edited by anil, 02 August 2005 - 04:44 AM.

there's news in today's papers that the supreme court has issued a notice to newspapers, the press council and the government of india, asking them to classify their content as to its suitability for being read by minors. this includes pics too -
this was based on a public interest litigation suit.

Special issue of Outlook on the Indian media