New World, Old Strengths

WYSIWYG. That’s What You See Is What You Get. The acronym, borrowed from computerspeak, could usually describe what a newspaper redesign is all about: a new look and feel, new typefaces, new layouts and, like the edition of your favourite newspaper you’re now holding, a brand new masthead. Sanjoy Narayan tells more.

WYSIWYG. That’s What You See Is What You Get. The acronym, borrowed from computerspeak, could usually describe what a newspaper redesign is all about: a new look and feel, new typefaces, new layouts and, like the edition of your favourite newspaper you’re now holding, a brand new masthead. But, as you will quickly discover, the new

HT Image

Hindustan Times

is not merely about what you see. The new look is just the topmost layer of what we have in store for you, our readers.

Of course, what you see — a new design that is benchmarked to the best international standards — is very much a part of what you will get when you pick up a copy of the paper each day. But you will get much, much more than that when you start reading the new Hindustan Times. It begins with better, sharper news stories, a relentless commitment to not just getting the routine news of the day but the right perspective on it that tells you ‘why’ you should care and ‘what’ it means for you. All of that brought to you with a unique understanding and depth.

What you are holding in your hand today is the new Weekend Hindustan Times, which will come to you with a special theme every Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the paper will focus on getting you energised and active, discover new things, people, books, music and movies that bring you a serious sense of fun. It will make you DO things. On Sunday, a day perfect for a more leisurely read, we intend to give you the best weekend reading from across your city, the rest of the country and indeed the world. It will provoke, inform and entertain you. It will make you THINK. Through the week, you will find the new HT is geared to you, your neighbourhood, your city and your country at a time when India has firmly and surely pushed its fast-forward button. And if that impatience is the new life, HT will make sure you get the tools to cope with it better than and before anyone else can. We will put India first, Delhi first, your job, and your life first. All as part of our tradition of changing with the times.

Here’s what our editors, writers and reporters have put together for you in the weeks and months to come:

: A path-breaking series, starting Monday, that will address our country’s major problems and big transformational opportunities — a showcase for ideas, innovative thinking and success stories from across India, its countryside as well as its teeming cities.

Delhi First/Mumbai First: A series that will fiercely investigate and drive civic change across your city, reaching out into your neighbourhoods to identify problems, work for solutions and follow up continuously.

HT Horizons: Along with special sections in Metro, this comprehensive package will help young readers identify education and job opportunities open to the New India. A special series will showcase stories of hope, change and opportunity.

Rush: Every weekend, you will find this unique section that will focus on your active lifestyle and on the Great Indian Outdoors. It will introduce you to a variety of outdoor sports and adventures. If you already have a favourite activity, refine your skills, push your limits or join our online community. Life is out here.

It gives me great joy and pride to present this new avatar of Hindustan Times to our readers who have extended their unstinting support for the last 85 years. In these eventful decades, newspapers the world over have changed and evolved in many ways, at times making important breaks from the past and leaps into the future. Sometimes the change has been driven by technology — new printing techniques or speedier printing presses. From black-and-white newspapers where the ink would get onto your hands, newspapers today are printed in all-colour, in modern, air-conditioned presses, with journalists using state-of-the-art computer hardware and software to produce what is slipped under your door every morning.

Since 1924, when Hindustan Times was born out of the cauldron of the Freedom Movement, your paper has constantly embraced technology and innovation, whether it is in the form or design of the product, its editorial content or even in the manner that it is distributed. But each time we made these changes, our objective and focus was always you: the reader. This time is no different. As we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, we are proud to present this new, cutting-edge avatar to our readers. New look. Fresh perspectives. But bound together with our high standards and values that have made us reach where we have. You’re holding the future in your hands today. Enjoy.