Letter from the Editor

CHANGING LOOKS, UNCHANGING VALUES

The last ten months have been very difficult — if heady — at Tehelka. Crippled by thin resources and non-existent infrastructure we have struggled with issues of marketing, distribution, and space-selling. Even so we have managed to make steady progress in pursuing the Tehelka vision of constructive, crusading, and hard investigative journalism. Tehelka has already broken more than fifty investigative stories, many of which have led to corrective action. And the readers have responded, and continue to do so. There have been accolades for our cause-based reporting, public interest exposes, and quality writing.

Of course we are continually aware there is much more to be done — in shaping both the style and the thrust of the paper. The greatest challenge in contemporary media is to practise serious, high-quality journalism and make sure it attracts readers and connects with them. The new format that you are now holding in your hand is one attempt in that direction. It is a result of both reader feedback and in-house brainstorming. The energetic fresh design we hope will enhance the paper's vision — making it more concise, crisp and purposeful.

The redesign has been led by Anand Naorem, an outstanding young designer, who has recently returned to Tehelka after being forced to leave — along with everyone else — when the original website was run into the ground.

The new format attempts to de-clutter the paper, and to establish scale. For clarity of design and ease of navigation the paper has been segmented into five clear sections — each representing a core characteristic of the paper: news and current affairs; investigations; the engaged circle (focus on civil society issues); arts and culture; and society and lifestyle.

Each of the sections has been designed to allow for both long essays and in-depth stories as well as the quick take. Featuring many interesting columns and regulars, together they will reflect the eclectic and exciting range of the paper. We live in an age of celebrities and none can escape it. Tehelka has tried to use their appeal to engage with crucial issues, instead of the fripperies of clothes and parties.

The new masthead, which sports a classy stylised Tehelka chilli, asserts Tehelka's essential identity — authoritative yet young, modern, independent, willing to break ground and take risks. We have also acquired a new font, Miller, a contemporary newspaper type, recently developed for its elegance and ease of reading.

It is necessary to iterate that in all this — the refinements of design and content — the soul of the paper will remain unchanging, resolutely aligned to public interest journalism.

I recommend that every reader start her journey from the next page itself, our page 3, a new perspectives page where we will attempt every week to provide a cool objective understanding of the hot issues of the moment.

We await your bouquets and brickbats.


Tarun J Tejpal