The Times of India Group on Saturday announced that it will stop the publication of Mumbai Mirror and Pune Mirror due to the coronavirus-induced economic crisis. However, Mumbai Mirror will be relaunched as a weekly, and continue to have a strong digital presence, the group said in a statement.
“Following months of discussions and deliberations, we have made this extremely difficult and painful decision to recalibrate our portfolio of publications,” the statement said. “We truly value the contribution of our journalists and other staff towards building such a strong brand in a relatively short time, and thank them for their hard work and great effort.”
The Times of India Group said that the newspaper industry has been hit not just by the terms of revenues, but also an import duty adding to newsprint costs. “With the long-held hope of a stimulus not materialising and the Indian economy now officially in recession, it is with a heavy heart that the group has decided to cease publication of Mirror in Pune and relaunch Mumbai Mirror as a weekly. They will, however, continue to have a strong digital presence,” the statement added.
The group said that Mumbai Mirror became an integral part of the city by “driving the narrative”. “Feisty and fearless, energetic and enthusiastic, playful yet punchy, it lived up to its name from the day it was born, mirroring Mumbai in all its myriad moods,” it added. “It was as local as Mumbai’s locals – the lifeblood that keeps the city on track and moving.”
There is yet no official word on Bangalore Mirror and Ahmedabad Mirror operations.
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