Dainik Bhaskar adds mask to its masthead
The Dainik Bhaskar Group has always believed that headlines write themselves. But in challenging times like these, it requires focused effort to elevate the information into something that grabs the attention of the reader. In this spirit, the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper has pioneered and revolutionised social messaging by replacing its masthead with ‘Mask is the only vaccine for now’. With a strong pulse of the sentiments on the ground and its ethos of keeping the reader at the centre of all its efforts, this novel move is unprecedented and perhaps a first in the world.
02 Dec 2020 | By Dibyajyoti Sarma
In keeping with its ongoing campaign, this move is aimed at drawing attention to the fact that wearing of masks is critical in our fight against the pandemic while keeping the economic activity moving, as we wait for the vaccine. With the onset of winter and reopening of economies, many countries across the world, including many states in India, are witnessing the second and the third phases of the pandemic.
The Bhaskar Group is positive that given its leadership position and widespread reach across 12 states in India through three flagship newspapers — Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, and Divya Marathi along with radio and digital platforms globally, such strong measures towards creating awareness about the importance of masks, are yielding results as increasingly, people are including masks in their daily routines and raising their voices against those who are seen without a mask in public.
Sudhir Agarwal, MD, the Dainik Bhaskar Group, said, “The Bhaskar Group has always taken its role as the fifth estate of the society very seriously. The revolutionary move of replacing the masthead with a mask is an industry first and is specifically designed to alert the reader on the seriousness of the issue. The on-ground efforts put in by the team along with relevant content has helped create awareness on the importance of constant vigilance, social distance and wearing masks. With our readers looking to our newspapers as a source of guidance, information, and courage, the ‘Mask is the only vaccine for now’ campaign is an important step by the Group towards spreading awareness.”