Paper elephants

By Salama A Salama

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The emergence of the independent press must be a source of endless worry to the old, semi-official press. At first, most of the new newspapers were weekly publications dominated by fiery columns and sensational reportage, but this is no longer the case.

New dailies are coming onto the scene. They are stylish, uncensored, and with decent editorial standards. And they mirror the vitality of a nation that evolves by the day, despite the straightjacket some people are trying to impose on it.

This is the kind of thing one expects in a country increasingly shifting towards market economy. But the semi-state press are having a hard time keeping up. They're held back by their own sluggishness, overweight and administrative and financial corruption. So at first the old press pretended that the new press wasn't a problem. But as the circulation of the new newspapers started to soar, the old press felt the pinch.

The introduction of satellite television and Internet-based journalism wasn't without impact on traditional print media either. The new media -- or part of it at least -- brought credibility and vitality to the scene, further exposing the weaknesses of old-style newspapers. The writing was on the wall for the old. And yet, some in the old media want the government to bail them out. Some ask the government to forgive the debts of the semi- official press, even at a time when the government is getting rid of other unprofitable ventures. Perhaps they have a point, for the government is partly to blame for the dismal state of the old press. And let's not forget that the government has bailed out several major businessmen without blinking an eye.

The question, however, is whether the semi- official press, or at least some of it, can survive once their debts are settled. Can the old press compete with the new press, even with the presence of government subsidies? Or would it get in further trouble along the road? So far, the jury is out. The old press is still quite confused as to which way to go. Some of the old newspapers are making an effort to shape up administratively, financially and professionally. Others are biding their time, hoping to survive just because the regime supposedly needs them.

Generally speaking, the new press is providing reliable service and gaining ground everyday. But even in the old press, the picture is not quite that rosy. Some of the old newspapers seem more interested in discrediting the old press than competing with it. The new press is more independent than the new, and therefore it doesn't need to sing the praises of the government or attack anyone the government disagrees with.

And yet, some of the new newspapers -- and I am not saying all -- are repeating the mistakes of the old. Some have turned into machines of slander and invective. Often they drift into squabbles and individual feuds that the ordinary reader cannot possibly be interested in. Often they stoop into name-calling and account settling and stray from even-handed reportage.

The new press, being financially independent, need their readership to survive. If they want to risk their readership, that is their own business. The old press, however, is subsidised by the state. This is why it has to reinvent itself in order to survive. It has to reinvent itself in order to sell, for it cannot go on living on subsidies forever.