As 2020 draws to a close, the latest casualty in the rampant layoffs and closures in the print media is Mumbai Mirror and Pune Mirror.
In a statement, the Times Group said it's ceasing the publication of Pune Mirror. Mumbai Mirror will be relaunched as a weekly.
There was no mention of Ahmedabad Mirror or Bangalore Mirror, or the status of the publications' numerous employees, though the statement said it "truly valued" the contribution of the staff, and thanked them for their "hard work and great effort".
The statement said that this "extremely difficult and painful decision to recalibrate our portfolio of publications" was made "following months of discussions and deliberations".
"Sadly, just as the pandemic, lockdown and unprecedented economic crisis have laid low many great ideas and initiatives before they could fully take root, they came as a body blow for the still-young brand," said the statement, referring to Mumbai Mirror's 15-year history. "Not only has the newspaper industry been among the hardest-hit in terms of revenues, it has been weighed down by an import duty that has added to newsprint costs."
It continued: "With the long-held hope of a stimulus not materializing and the Indian economy now officially in recession, it is with a heavy heart that the group has decided to cease publication of Mirror in Pune and relaunch Mumbai Mirror as a weekly."
The statement added that both brands will continue to have a "strong digital presence".
Several people mourned the news on Twitter.
If there was any reason to continue to subscribe to a TOI paper, it was @MumbaiMirror. News of the Mirror shutting down is a shock. The mirror editions were led by some cool editors and journalists. Will miss the paper and their stories a lot
— Jency Jacob (@jencyjac) December 5, 2020
Mumbai Mirror shutting down is terrible, terrible news. It's done so many great stories, it didn't hesitate to take a principled stand on so many subjects and quickly became a favourite for city readers. Fingers crossed for everyone in Mirror's team.
— Deepanjana (@dpanjana) December 5, 2020
Mumbai Mirror is one of the cruelest casualties of 2020. As a journalist, it was the paper that I looked forward to and dreaded the most because of the stories they broke (and in turn, the explanations I'd have to give my editor for missing the scoop).
— Alisha Coelho (@AlishaCoelho) December 5, 2020
I am going to miss the dogged reporting on local issues and some brilliant writing under the leadership of @writemeenal. Hope these bylines find an alternate space soon. Will miss you Mumbai Mirror
— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) December 5, 2020
The best thing the TOI group ever produced, steered by my first boss and first-class editor @writemeenal. Kudos to her and her wonderful team: Mumbai Mirror and Pune Mirror to stop publication, Times Group says Indian economy in recession https://t.co/2Cfn3yLMQM via @scroll_in
— Nandini Ramnath (@nandiniramnath) December 5, 2020
Very sad, disturbing and depressing news. I have so many friends working in these newspapers. How are they going to manage? https://t.co/K65AiBzjnc
— Vijay Lokapally (@vijaylokapally) December 5, 2020
Sad to hear Mumbai Mirror is ending daily print. Best part of my time in India was reading the advice of its 96-year-old "sexpert". Her approach to most problems was vigorous masturbation.
— Stanley Pignal (@spignal) December 5, 2020
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