MARKET
Newspapers are the lifeblood of a country and even though diverse electronic media compete to keep the public abreast of the news, newspapers still play a vital role in disseminating information and shaping opinion. Electronic media enjoy an edge as far as breaking news is concerned, but national newspapers such as Divaina serve to inform the public how and why events occurred, as well as provide in-depth analyses of issues behind the news. Given the plethora of newspapers in three languages and the range in terms of content offered by both daily and weekly newspapers, Sri Lanka’s print-media market could be considered a dynamic and highly competitive one.
The newspaper market in Sri Lanka is presently valued at over 400 million rupees a month, taking into consideration news-stand sales and advertising revenue, which is considered vital in determining how a newspaper is run. Editorial policies define the stance of newspapers and are instrumental in creating the desired impact among the target readership. The public usually buys a newspaper for both reportage and commentary. To maintain its leadership in the Sinhala-language segment of the newspaper industry, Divaina has been able to strike a delicate balance between editorial and marketing policies. This has enabled the newspaper, which has been in operation for almost a quarter of a century, to achieve Superbrand status.
Despite stiff competition, the daily and Sunday versions of the Divaina have maintained the second-highest readership levels for both daily and weekly Sinhala-language newspapers, as indicated by the National Media Survey. Divaina attracts an educated and discerning segment of readers, according to the survey.
All other Sinhala-language newspapers – and, to some extent, English-language newspapers – compete with the Divaina brand with regard to advertisements. In Sri Lanka, daily and weekend newspapers – both tabloid and broadsheet – compete for a share of the advertising pie. Only the vernacular daily newspapers compete with it in terms of news. The electronic media, which attract a major share of advertising in comparison to the print media, poses the biggest challenge to Divaina in relation to advertising revenue. The internet, which hosts numerous websites that publish news virtually instantly and provide regular updates, has also become a competitor to reckon with.
Divaina is presently posed with the challenge of devising ways in which to stay ahead of the competition. Since it is also an online newspaper, Divaina could compete with the internet to some extent. But the battle with electronic media is more difficult, especially in terms of breaking news, since TV and radio are quicker to respond to and reflect eventualities, thereby attracting the attention of viewers.
Newsprint and its availability, as well as expenditure on printing, have been known to impact the newspaper industry grievously, on occasion. Presently, newspapers compete to attract the attention of readers through well-designed pages and eye-catching layouts – to say nothing of headlines. If the newsprint is of inferior quality, advertisements published in a newspaper are not likely to yield the desired results. So publishers try to use the best available yet most economical newsprint.
Increased income from advertisements means increased revenue for the newspaper, which could then employ more journalists on its editorial team and obtain the services of quality graphic artists to improve its aesthetics. The financials of a newspaper are driven not by the price at which it sells at the news-stand, but by the advertisements it attracts.
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ACHIEVEMENTS
Divaina has been commended for impartial and neutral reporting by the EU’s election monitors in 2005. The newspaper also won a Silver at the SLIM Advertising Awards in 2004 for its Mohini TV campaign, which focused on the brand’s high quality of journalism. The campaign used the local idiom of a well-known Sri Lankan folk tale. Editors and journalists working for Divaina’s sister publications have won many awards for reporting during the brand’s 25 years of existence.
Divaina, which claims to enjoy a market share of 30-40 per cent in terms of readership, is considered second only to Lankadeepa, in terms of reach. This is a significant achievement, because there 
are many Sinhala-language newspapers such as Lankadeepa, Dinamina, Silumina, Lakbima, Ravaya and Rivira with which it competes. Divaina’s popularity stems from its longevity and staying power. The brand is 25 years old and obviously, this inspires customer confidence.
Divaina’s achievements and its progress, spanning over a quarter of a century, are attributable chiefly to its committed workforce. Some staffers have been with Divaina since its inception and continue contributing to the brand’s success. Editors, journalists, photographers, graphic artists, proofreaders, printing and circulation staff, marketing and advertising people, have all contributed to its attainment of Superbrand status.
Editorial staff members, who comprise the core of Divaina, are a committed lot. If any newspaper can retain its talented workforce as Divaina has done, this would be a significant achievement in itself. The management policy of little or no interference in the newspaper’s editorial stance, which has given the journalistic staff a much vaunted freedom of expression, is appreciated.
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HISTORY
The Sunday Divaina and its daily counterpart were launched in 1981 and 1982 respectively, at a time when the local press was dominated by the state media and remained under stringent government control. The late Upali Wijewardene, one of Sri Lanka’s most respected entrepreneurs, launched Upali Newspapers, which still publishes Divaina. At that time, it was the first privately owned, independent news organisation in Sri Lanka.
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PRODUCT
Divaina is published in broadsheet format in the Sinhala language. Both publications are also available online. Divaina is distributed nationally and strict deadlines are met daily. The newspaper attracts a wide cross section of advertisements from the country’s leading marketers who consider it a viable medium for marketing their respective products.
From a political perspective, Divaina is an important newspaper. At election time, it attracts significant advertising from a diverse range of candidates, confirming its popularity and positioning among readers. It impacts strongly on public opinion. National market surveys on newspapers, which are conducted once a year, do not always provide accurate information about the circulation of newspapers in Sri Lanka.
Although it is speculated that Divaina may be leading the market in terms of readership, the lack of audited circulation figures is a lacuna in the newspaper industry.
From its inception, Divaina has been committed to presenting readers with impartial, in-depth and up-to-date news and information. It has firmly resisted periodic attempts to manipulate or restrict media freedom from time to time.
In general, the brand has been targeting the more educated reader, and it has focused on presenting news in a responsible manner, in keeping with the media ethics and regulations set by the authorities. It has also endeavoured to present news professionally, without catering to the lowest common denominator.
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RECENT DEVELOPMENT
Sri Lanka has experienced a turbulent period in its history in the 2000s, both socially and politically. Reputable world bodies such as the EU despatch their representatives to this country from time to time to monitor, amongst other things, media freedom and media performance. During the past few years, EU observers have repeatedly identified Divaina as being an impartial publication.
Many newspapers have recognised the importance of presentation. While Divaina has always presented breaking news and cutting-edge feature articles, its present focus is to display eye-catching layouts and photographs to appeal especially to younger readers.
Other newspapers, especially the English-language print media, have focused on projecting business news in a prominent manner. This focus has not been noticeable among Sinhala-language newspapers.
Divaina, which caters to the educated Sinhala-speaking readership of the country, seeks to explore and exploit this – and, perhaps, become number one in terms of business readership.
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PROMOTION
Divaina, which is a platform for promotion in itself, does not need to spend much on promoting the brand. However, some publishing costs – for newsprint, for example – could be categorised as indirect promotional expenditure.
If the newspaper can stay ahead of the pack in terms of the news, it is likely to attract new readers. In this regard, human-resource development – especially in retaining talent – would ensure consistency of performance, which would promote the newspaper in the longer term. Meanwhile, a range of competitions in the newspaper seek to reward its readers and to retain their readership. Divaina also offers media sponsorship for business events, to further popularise the newspaper.
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BRAND VALUES
Divaina seeks to uphold media ethics sans compromise. It concentrates on the accurate reporting and adopts a responsible approach to both reportage and commentary. Its management has granted the newspaper’s journalists and editors a high degree of media freedom, and adopts a policy of non-interference with editorial policy. Divaina’s aim is to provide readers with impartial news and quality analyses, presented in an interesting and entertaining format, whilst steering clear of sensationalism. It innovates by dint of the manner in which it presents the news and through its creative application of design.
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THINGS YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT Divaina
♥ The weekend and daily editions of Divaina were the first privately owned, independent newspapers launched in Sri Lanka, following the nationalisation of the local press in the 1970s.
♥ Divaina celebrated its 25th year of publication in 2006.
♥ Divaina, along with The Island – the English-language sister publication of Divaina – is the only Sri Lankan newspaper to receive a commendation for impartial reporting from the EU as well as PAFFREL, the independent election-monitoring organisation in Sri Lanka.
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www.divaina.com
