I used to love the variety of magazines I’d see in US bookshops and magazine stands. Now, the same diversity can be seen in India. More and more niche magazines are coming out, and each one seems to be different from the others of their ilk. This is happening even as the newspaper coverage has perhaps become less interesting and at times too flippant. I think the Indian reader is ready for some serious and insightful magazines.
One magazine I picked up twice from a nearby bookshop was “The Caravan.” Here is how their website describes the magazine: “The Caravan is a literary magazine for the curious mind. It is a collection of interesting and narrative stories on domestic and international politics and social issues, culture, including the arts and literature, travel, sports, science and technology, environment, education and business.”
What attracted mewas the longish cover stories on politics – one on Mayawati, and another on fringe saffron group. I may not necessarily agree with everything they write, but this long-form journalism is increasingly missing from the likes of India Today and Outlook, and definitely absent from the dailies. And TV has become too sound-byte focused and very repetitive. At times, it becomes quite hard to figure out the deeper background and context of what’s happening. And that’s something that could be a good niche!
