New Delhi: The pandemic, lockdown and unprecedented economic crisis have massively impacted the media industry. It has hit the distribution, circulation, and advertising revenues of these companies.

The latest victim of this unprecedented crisis is the Times Group, which has decided to cease the publishing of Pune Mirror and relaunch Mumbai Mirror as a weekly newspaper. Both these products will continue to have a strong digital presence.

In a statement issued, the Times Group said, “Following months of discussions and deliberations, we have made this extremely difficult and painful decision to recalibrate our portfolio of publications. We truly value the contribution of our journalists and other staff towards building such a strong brand in a relatively short time, and thank them for their hard work and great effort.”

It further said that not only has the newspaper industry been among the hardest-hit in terms of revenues, but it has also been weighed down by an import duty that has added to newsprint costs. With the long-held hope of a stimulus not materializing and the Indian economy is now officially in recession.

Mumbai Mirror was launched 15 years ago. Feisty and fearless, energetic and enthusiastic, playful yet punchy, the paper lived up to its name from the day it was born, mirroring Mumbai in all its myriad moods. It was as local as Mumbai’s locals – the lifeblood that keeps the city on track and moving. The paper became such an integral part of the reader’s life, driving the narrative of the city, that it was decided to extend the experience to Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad.

Mumbai Mirror had also released several successful brand campaigns that went on to be appreciated by the industry and the audiences.