The Hindu relaunches Frontline

The publication aims to tap a wider market with this re-launch, especially the youth segment. The magazine will have 150 pages, and is priced at Rs 40 in its re-launched version.

The Hindu has relaunched its fortnightly magazine, Frontline. The first issue of the renewed magazine will come out on October, 5. With this, the publication aims to tap a wider market, especially the youth segment.

The magazine was re-launched by vice-president Hamid Ansari on Thursday. Ansari, who was a regular contributor to the news magazine before taking oath of office in 2007, noted that despite the incursion of audio visual media, the demand for serious journalism, as personified by Frontline, remains.

Also present at the function were R Vijay Sankar, editor, Frontline; Romila Thapar, professor emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Digvijay Singh, secretary, AICC; Arun Anant, CEO, The Hindu; and N Ram, former editor-in-chief, The Hindu and Frontline.

The magazine will continue to be published fortnightly, with 150 pages, priced at Rs 40 in the new re-launched version. R Vijay Sankar will continue to be the editor of the magazine. Frontline was initially launched in December, 1984.

Recently, the publication launched a weekend supplement, Weekend Life and a luxury tabloid, Watches, Luxury & Beyond.

N Ram, former editor-in-chief, The Hindu and Frontline, says that Ansari's contribution to the news magazine on West Asian affairs was appreciable and assured that the magazine will continue to give voice to issues that affect the lives of people and remain committed to serious journalism, unaffected by marketing blitzkrieg.

"The trigger for Frontline's publication at the time of launch was the acquisition of a colour printer from Japan and the then editor of The Hindu, G Kasturi was clear that newspapers in India had to raise the game and not take readers for granted," he said.

Over the decades, Frontline has evolved as a progressive, critical fortnightly that has focussed on issues like deprivation, culture and socio-economic aspects rather than lifestyle, leisure and feel good, he said, pointing out that the absence of long form journalism is a "serious deficit" that needs to be addressed.

The main features of the revamped magazine will be articles based on social issues, a World Affairs section, public health, gender issues, the judiciary, science and technology, art, archaeology, theatre, environment and conservation.

The publisher adds that there is a need to reach to a wider audience, particularly the younger generation. While retaining the serious character of the magazine and its thrust on long form, analytical journalism, some new features and columns have been introduced to appeal to a wider readership. In its slightly altered form, the magazine will attempt to explore unchartered territories in terms of themes, issues and topics, while making the magazine relevant and attractive to an increasing readership, claims the publisher.

Ram further explains that the new version of the magazine, too, has space for long form journalism, interviews, essays, picture features, and strong content on key issues related to political, social and economic aspects that matter in the long term. It is secular, pro-people and seeks to create space for contrary views through arguments, criticism, interviews and analysis, Ram adds.

He emphasises that the only reason for the re-launch was to 'be lively while continuing to being serious.'