Mangalore Today is a newspaper published in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. The “impossible” journey began on 16 December 1996. Even as the maiden issue of Mangalore Today hit the stands, it was greeted by a horde of skeptics. A local magazine – that too in English – would not survive the year, they said. After all, we neither had experience in journalism, nor strong financial backing. We accepted their sympathies, their condolences and even their premature obituaries. With a smile. Conventional wisdom, we believe, is meant to be challenged. A few zealous blokes, we know, will make a difference. It has never been otherwise.
Nineteen years down the line, we are glad to have proven the skeptics wrong. And we did it by focusing on one story at a time. Through our stories, we explored the political, administrative, financial, social, cultural, environmental and educational aspects of South Kanara. We carried out reality checks on public projects and institutions, pointed out flaws in the systems and even provided feasible alternatives. Inevitably, this led to many scoops, exposes and ruffled feathers.
We lauded unsung achievers, promoted hidden talent and managed to find inspiration in the most unlikely places. We interviewed the famous and the powerful, the wise and the knowledgeable, the leaders and the legends. We portrayed culture and faithfully documented the changing times. Subconsciously, we were freezing significant moments for eternity. Perhaps, that’s the reason our stories age gracefully. Today, when we open a story we wrote in say, 1998, it shows us a new shade of wisdom.
In these eighteen years, we faced many stiff challenges. We put up with ridicule. We refused to be threatened by lawsuits. We faced harsh financial realities; on many occasions, we could not muster sufficient funds to print the magazine. We toyed with the option of closing down, of betraying our loyal readers and our own core beliefs. We persevered. Because we knew that the sun would rise tomorrow, and who knows what the tide would bring in?
What helped our journey was the knowledge that we were not alone – our readers stood by us through thick and thin. When we did a good job, they patted our backs. When we occasionally failed to deliver as per our usual high standards, they gently reprimanded us. By keeping us on our toes, they spurred us to give our best. By consistently sending us three-year subscriptions, they provided stability to our aspirations. Without a doubt, we owe the biggest debt of gratitude to them.