In a period when journalists have been at the end of (sometimes well deserved) accusations, insults and general disapprobation at the hands of a hypocritical society (which denounces yellow journalism, sensationalism, irreverence, and apathy to “real issues” –the supposed sins of contemporary journalists, while discussing their products animatedly in the same breath.) and when the few examples of courageous and meaningful journalism struggle to stay afloat, as they sink into obscurity, under the deluge of criticism, community newspapers have emerged as saving graces for the profession.

I will proceed to establish my statement by talking about a newspaper that I’ve grown up with, having spent ten years of Sunday mornings consuming its contents for at least 15 minutes every time.
Adyar Times (“your neighborhood newspaper” is the friendly tagline beneath its unpretentiously clear and bold masthead.) is a paper delivered free of charge to households in Besant Nagar, Indira Nagar, Shastri Nagar, and other areas comprising Adyar on Sundays. It’s the pioneer of a unique and ingenious business model that has been copied (albeit less successfully) by other new papers (Adyar Talk and the like). This model relies primarily on Advertising as a source of income, and its wide geographical coverage and excellent circulation had made it a trusty magnet for advertisers of my neighborhood.

It’s got a skeletal workforce of 14- there is only one full time reporter and photographer. More than fifty percent of the stories run here are contributed by Adyarites, who are keen on alerting the paper to events in their area, and they play a vital part in the creation of every issue.

This system has produced charming (but clumsily written) accounts of a wide range. From deifying local rock bands comprising of “home-grown” Adyar boys, to reporting on the results of neighborhood schools, to drawing attention to awareness drives/programmes being conducted, to accounts of the monthly meetings of the Besant Nagar humour club, to complaining about sewerage problems on their roads and traffic bottlenecks, to boasting about child prodigies who live next door, to reporting on the triumphs of a local TT star in international meets, to reviewing new restaurants opened in their area, and subtly advertising through the article-courses on jam making, reiki, and mehendi, Adyarites have used this channel repeatedly for a long time.

The line between the newspaper, and the community it served vanished as the community and the paper shaped each other and each became a part of the other’s existence In it’s quiet way, The paper drew the community closer together and the ingrained the identity of “Adyarite” in its readers. It also made headway in bringing people face to face with the civic realities of their environment and enabling concrete action to redress the problem. The “letters from readers” section is a valuable forum to draw attention to glaring problems that confront them in the course of their daily lives. And it’s always been effective in galvanizing apathetic authorities into action, and thus it’s acted as a link between the administration and the citizens.

Incidentally, Adyar Times is just the sister publication of the first newspaper of the chain- Mylapore Times has been even more successful as a community newspaper. It has revived the dying spirit of the Mylapore community-the spirit that had made Mylapore a cultural treasure- with its sabhas, carnatic music, Kapaleeshwar temple with its great tank and its annual chariot festival, and those quaint little houses (that added a touch of history and old world charm to its narrow streets). By reinstating these cultural traditions (Mylapore times organized Mylapore Heritage tours, and the “Namma Mylapore” movement, started “golu” contests to enthuse citizens about Navarathri) the paper silently soldiered on to rescue Mylaporeans from their abyss of alienation.

True, The Adyar Times lacks the elegant writing style of The Hindu, the brash energy of The Indian Express and the marketing finesse of The Deccan Chronicle. But it’s singled out for its readers those bewildering local issues that big papers overlook- for example an in depth analysis of the municipal election scene in every Adyar ward cant be given by any other newspaper. Ultimately, the Adyar Times has simplified my community and made it an easier place to deal with. By stripping down journalism to the essentials- reporting important issues, making the citizens voice mingle with that of the reporters to deliver a deafening chorus, awakening the community to the immediate problems of the under-privileged, and presenting facts in a manner of unadorned honesty, the Adyar Times has become not only the Mirror of my community, but its crusading voice and champion as well.

PS:check out http://vincentsjottings.blogspot.com if you're a die-hard Chennaite like me.