The Times of India

The Times of India logo

The Times of India, often abbreviated as TOI, is one of India's leading daily newspapers and has the highest circulation amongst English language daily broadsheets in the world. It is published from eight cities across India.

History

The old building of The Times of India released in the Diamond Jubilee Album of 1898

The Times of India was founded on November 3, 1838 as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, and served the British residents of western India. It adopted its present name in 1861. Published every Saturday and Wednesday, The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce was launched as a bi-weekly editions. It contained news from Europe, America and the sub-continent, and was conveyed between India and Europe via regular steam-ships. The daily editions of the paper were started from 1850 and by 1861, the Bombay Times was renamed The Times of India. In the 19th century this news-paper company employed more than 800 people and had good circulation in India and Europe. Originally British owned and controlled, its last British editor was Ivor S. Jehu, who resigned the editorship in 1950.

Stamp issued in honour of the Times.

The Times of India is published by India's largest media group, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. This company, along with its other group companies, are more popularly known as The Times Group, which also publishes The Economic Times (a leading financial broadsheet), Mumbai Mirror, the Navbharat Times (a Hindi daily broadsheet), and the Maharashtra Times (a Marathi daily broadsheet).

The Times Group has very recently added TIMES NOW a 24 hour English news channel to its chain of news organisations. TIMES NOW is a collaboration between Times Group and Reuters.

Criticisms

The newspaper has been criticized by some of its readers for its efforts to reach out to new market segments. The modelling of sections of the newspaper upon fashion tabloids is a case in point. The group has also been attacked by other media houses in India for its management interference in editorial policy and the policy of selling paid news. The Times Group has drawn some amount of flak for a scheme called "medianet", which other firms can use to purchase editorial coverage in the daily. The ethical problems for the group have been further compounded by allegations of extortion by a journalist employed by the group.

Historically, The Times of India has been praised for its content. In the recent past, however, it is claimed that the newspaper's focus has shifted away from journalistic excellence, to tabloid-style pizzaz bordering on yellow journalism. The newspaper has at times been panned for its unabashed promotion of inhouse brands owned by its parent company, M/s Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, (such as Femina, Radio Mirchi, Planet M, Times Music).

The newspaper has also been accused of overly sensationalizing news stories. An infamous example being the Rift in powerful biz family article, which detailed a rift within the Ambani family. Interestingly, the newspaper was the first to break the news six months before the feud became public knowledge.

Though the Times has traditionally tried to portray an image of political neutrality, it has been by and large viewed as a pro-establishment paper. It tends to vary in its support between the BJP and Congress Party, depending on who holds the reins of the Central Government. Its whole-hearted approval of Indira Gandhi's excessive repression measures during the internal Emergency in the 1970s is not lost on political observers. Since the 1980s and early 1990s, the Times of India has consistently produced some of the country's finest journalists. Most of these journalists tend to move to other publications soon after (so as not to be in colflict with the Jain brothers).

Market share

The newspaper today sells 2.7 million copies daily, and has an average issue readership in excess of 8.4 million, which makes it by far the world's largest English-language broadsheet newspaper.

Editions

*Delhi Edition
*Mumbai Edition
*Bangalore Edition
*Pune Edition
*Calcutta Edition
*Lucknow Edition
*Ahmedabad Edition
*Hyderabad Edition
*Mangalore Edition
*Mysore Edition

Prominent Supplements

City Centric Supplements

Bombay Times
Delhi Times
Bangalore Times
Pune Times
Hyderabad Times
Calcutta Times
Kanpur Times
Lucknow Times
Ahmedabad Times
Baroda Times
Chandigarh Times
Patna Times
Nashik Times

Topical Supplements

Times Ascent: Appointments advertising section, goes with all editions of The Times of India on Wednesday.
Education Times: Weekly round up of Education related news, articles et al., goes every week with all editions on Monday
Times Property: Weekly Supplement on Property, goes with the Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad editions every Saturday
Times Life / Men and Women / Sunday Review
Times Matrimonials
Times Classifieds

People

*Jaideep Bose, Executive Editor (2005-present), and Trishla Jain, Trainee Publisher at Large
*The Common Man, one of the papers best-loved personalities.

See also

* Indrajal Comics Comics from Bennet, Coleman & Co., proprieters of Times of India brand.

External links

* The Times of India on the web
* Times of India - Paid News
* The Times of India epaper
* Times Syndication Service
* Reuters to buy 26% in Times Global Broadcasting Limited
* About Bennett Coleman & Co.