Media's internal warfare: Times vs Times Now

The relationship between The Times of India and its Times Now is raising eyebrows.

While they are siblings, the fact they compete with each other forces them to not like each other too much, even if they are forced to acknowledge that they are from the same family.

But the competition, which is real and omnipresent, raises its ugly head and, on Tuesday, caused the newspaper to resort to some veiled name-calling. “TV generates heat, ToI sheds light”, said the headline in an advertisement in The Times of India.

[caption id=“attachment_88459” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“While ToI and Times Now are siblings, the fact they compete with each other forces them to not like each other too much.”]  [/caption]

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“Heated discussions. Accusations and counter accusations. Provocative soundbytes. Panelists competing to outshout each other. Inflammatory visuals. Over-the-top anchors. That’s the stuff TV news is made of. But while it may stir your emotions, does it really leave you better informed about the subject being discussed? Probably not.”

Admittedly, the body copy, thus far, is about news television, not about Times Now - and The Times of India ad goes on to fight for all print media, not just for themselves.

“That’s where print media comes in. Since we don’t labour under the tyranny of having to fill in news 24 hours a day, we can afford to be choosy about what we publish. Beyond the sound and fury of TV’s breaking news, we provide balance, perspective and sober discourse.”

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The ‘We’ referred to is all of print media, the ‘They’ is news television.

[caption id=“attachment_88455” align=“alignright” width=“300” caption=“The Times of India ad.”]  [/caption]

How does The Times of India fight against all of news television without besmirching Times Now? And since the battle is about newspapers versus news television, is it an Economic Times versus ET Now battle as well. Are Times Now and ET Now, both news TV channels, unable to provide balance, perspective and sober discourse, as the ad implies, while The Times of India and The Economic Times do?

It’s complicated.

Do the marketing heads at The Times of India, Times Now, The Economic Times and ET Now all know that this ad was scheduled to be released? Did they even know of the existence of the ad?

It’s complicated.

Disclosure: Firstpost is part of Network18. Network18 owns products that compete with a number of products owned by Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. and Times Global Broadcasting Limited, owners of The Times of India, The Economic Times, Times Now and ET Now.