IT has been healthy competition for over four decades as two Jeddah-based titles competed and grew a large reader-base of their own. Both Saudi Gazette and Arab News had their distinctive traits and that's what made them unique yet competitive, but with changing times the numbers of readers of the print version have shrunk. But after 43 years and the successful coverage and dissemination of news, Saudi Gazette is changing tack to have the shifting global winds blow into its sails by ending print publication and focusing on digital media in order to reach its audience more quickly. I, in my near four decades stay in the Kingdom, have been one of those fortunate few who has traveled the rough and the smooth in both newspapers — the earlier stint in Arab News and the current in Saudi Gazette. From the smell of the ink to the buzz of the computers, we have had to adopt and adapt to the trends and times. Today Saudi Gazette is on another cusp of change with one favored way for disseminating news giving way to a faster and tech-savvy mode of providing news — literally news on the go. But in the over four decades of its establishment, the print pages of Saudi Gazette were a place to discover a variety of news, to hone one's knowledge by reading established writers while also being served with a free classified service that enabled many to find something of value. Chances are that you may have been one of the readers to have benefitted — finding your first rental apartment, own cars or even furniture for your home. It catered to the kids too with its Fun Times — a veritable winner. Writers battled each other in the paper's letters column and readers were as opinionated as the writers. A shift to color printing and change in reading patterns saw Saudi Gazette usher in leisure reading with a section for the weekend. This boosted tastes in the arts often in language that only readers armed with degrees could understand. The two newspapers mixed up in their own ways the variety they wanted to serve, but both led and followed each other as readers' preference dictated the trend and the track of the papers. While the staff competed keenly to provide the best for their readers, it was always a very friendly rivalry. While both guarded the exclusivity of their news and actions, they were however, more flexible in sharing news from the wires. In the eighties and even nineties, the news from the cable relayed through teleprinters would mess up due to power outages and line disruptions... such that the garbled news would be undecipherable. Editors, especially sports editors, in both newspapers called each other when they were holding the short end of the stick to seek the correct version and the staff of both the newspapers always obliged with a photocopy. Despite the camaraderie, the staff worked to furrow their own path and build a loyal set of followers. In that both did succeed. But changing times brought about varying roles. As it has in earlier eras, dynamic changes in the newspaper industry are reshaping the industry as well as competition. And the agent of change has been the Internet, which has not only reshaped our lives but has also rejigged many industries. It has brought about increased competition for readers and redirected the advertising money and modes of reaching out to consumers. In addition, the global economic downturn and new trends in disseminating news have exacerbated the impact of this competitive stress leaving many newspapers in precarious financial condition, with a few closing and others forced to undertake drastic cost cutting measures. Newspapers play a special role in furnishing high-quality news but it comes at a cost. In order for Saudi Gazette to play its pivotal function in providing news of value to its readers, it is switching roles in order for it to not only be the "first updater" but the "fast updater" of any event. And that is now being done through the information superhighway that is the Internet. Many new sources of news and commentary are emerging, and the Internet has enabled the broader dissemination of news and analysis. But a reputable title like Saudi Gazette will always be the preferred choice to other media outlets that will not fill the media gap. — The writer is the Executive Editor of Saudi Gazette.Twitter: @LRamnarayanIyer
