Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: NST milks audio gimmick for the kids paper

Well, well, how about that. NST offered has flung behind a "kids' paper" jibe with a creamy splash: their latest gimmick is an embedded audio chip of three stories review aloud, sponsored by a divert powder company. Frisco appears to have struck a great deal, including a puff by organisation editor Syed Nadzri Harun. At NST Online this morning, there was a popover, as well as three mentions upon a front page, above as well as next a Yang di-Pertuan Agong, prior to they were replaced as a headlines cycle changed on.

It does demeanour to be only a teeny bit of an over-reaction to being called a kids' paperwhen circulation sales dropped next 90,000 (now next 70,000) with an additional third comprising bulk sales especially to schools.

But to be fair, it's only realistic offered to have lemonade when handed a lemon, nonetheless for a moment, a headline First articulate newspaper had me believing which a NST had repented as well as constructed an audio-edition for a blind as a social cause.

Alas, it was merely to divert more ad revenue with an additional technical gimmick, after we do a 3-D stunt upon November 11.

NST Online screenshot

The question does arise* contingency a organisation editor get concerned in product marketing?

Not a sound practice, I should say. (No one seems to be listening though: should I spin up a volume?)

Malaysian journalism is already in parlous times without heading newspaper ! companie s customarily having their papers' many comparison journalists concerned in offered gimmicks, nor when a divert company gimmick is featured online as a "top story". Syed Nadzri is being a great corporate player, no doubt, but NSTP management has forgotten which editors have been journalists not salesmen, as well as which editors should be producing journalism, not marketing. (See 20 things we can do for a brand new giveaway press)

Perhaps corporate management, with one eye upon a PM's Department as well as one eye upon a stock exchange, can no longer tell a difference.

After all, if you've been offered political puffery as well as job it news, we competence as great tell offered puffery as news, as well as be utterly asocial about what line of commercial operation you're in.

And as it's about divert (sometimes a by-product of rearing cows, according to arguable sources), maybe a NST will measure points by burning both ends of this candle.

*Yes, dear politicians, questions regularly arise, no matter how mostly we try to deny or boot them.