Newspapers won't infect you with COVID-19 assures BCCL's Raj Jain

Raj Jain, CEO, Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. in a letter addressed to employees at the leading English daily Times of India addresses the fake news and misinformation that is being circulated with respect to process of newspaper print and distribution.

Dear Colleague,

The novel coronavirus, which started as an epidemic in China is now a global pandemic. The fast-moving deadly virus, Covid-19, has claimed 8,778 lives across the globe and leftover 2,09,839 people infected across over 150 countries so far (WHO data as on 19th March 2020). With the increasing number of cases in India, the government has put in place certain restrictions and simultaneously issued advisories to contain the spread of the disease.

Despite all the efforts and awareness, fake news is being circulated, especially with regards to the process of newspaper printing and distribution. I want each one of you to understand and further educate others within your ecosystem. The newspaper printing, folding and bundling are all done without the human touch. The bundles are then loaded on to fumigated trucks by gloved and face-masked handlers. Keeping the current state in mind, at the depot, we have encouraged a strict hygiene discipline amongst the delivery boys. More importantly, neither the WHO nor India’s Health Ministry has issued any report in any of its recommendations or advisories to restrict newspapers and milk packets as a step towards prevention/spread of the disease. There are enough eminent doctors including leading virologists who have categorically stated that the newspaper carries no risk of carrying the infection.

The newspaper is an essential commodity today owing to a heavy dose of misinformation floating on the electronic media. It also continues to deliver authenticated news and information around the epidemic.

Please continue to receive your newspaper at home and rest assured it will only help in the crisis and not aggravate it.

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