The students took part in the field office visit by the first and second-year students of journalism and media production from Ajeenkya DY Patil University embarked on an educational field visit to Pune Mirror, a prominent newspaper publication in Pune. The primary objective of our field visit to the Pune Mirror office is to gain valuable insights into the operations and workings of a prominent regional media organization. The objective was to learn about news gathering, reporting, and facts checking, designing, editing, and finalizing, sales and marketing team, circulation, promotion strategies of social media & digital.
The day commenced with a detailed session on news gathering, reporting, and fact-checking, conducted by Ms. Archana, the Bureau Chief, and Editor Avinash. The students learned about the essential components of a news story, the “5W1H” approach (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How). The Design Team Head explained the meticulous process of structuring stories, incorporating visuals, and graphics, and aligning text within the newspaper’s layout. The students received insights into design software such as Adobe InDesign and PageMaker. The COO of Pune Mirror, Mr. Naved Anjum, shared valuable insights into the sales and marketing aspects of the newspaper industry. He explained the critical role of release orders for advertisements, outlining details such as ad content, size, dimensions, and ad placement within the newspaper. The Circulation Team Head elucidated the newspaper’s journey from printing to distribution to vendors, ultimately reaching the hands of readers. The students learned about the Audit Bureau of Circulation, which plays a crucial role in auditing print circulation. In the digital era, media outlets are increasingly reliant on digital content and promotion. Archana Vohra, Head of Social Media & Digital, provided students with valuable insights into digital promotion strategies. She highlighted the importance of SEO in digital content and demonstrated how to effectively promote stories through keywords, hashtags, visuals, and hyperlinking. Paid promotions and other strategies were also discussed. Additionally, Ms. Vohra emphasized the significance of addressing losses, identifying their root causes, and adapting to market dynamics by analyzing competitors and market trends.
In conclusion, the Pune Mirror field visit provided media students with an enriching and comprehensive view of the newspaper industry, from the inception of news stories to their publication and promotion.
