Free Press Journal becomes Free Child Journal on Children's Day

Today, the Free Press Journal has changed its masthead to “Free Child Journal. Why? Because we want to use our masthead to draw the nation’s attention to issues that deserve to be addressed. Because we don’t just want to be writing about the changes that India witnesses daily but also play a part in changing India for the better.

We started this movement on 29th August 2019, National Sports Day, by changing our 90-year-old brand name to “Free Sports” followed by Free Food”. And today, we want to shine the spotlight on the future of our country.

On our children. Did you know that India has the largest population of children in the world? How much is that? 400 million. Unfortunately, statistics show that 1 out of 4 children suffers from depression. What’s a major cause of it? Parental pressure. This depression then leads to feelings of low self-esteem, displays of violent and suicidal tendencies, and stunted emotional development. And to them being robbed of a childhood that should be filled with happiness and fun.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed. Which is why, today, on the occasion of Children’s Day, we want to address it. We are dedicating two full pages to it, in an attempt to tackle the issue head-on. On the pages inside, you’ll find articles written by Amole Gupte, Juhi Chawla, Kiran Manral, among other eminent personalities, discussing their thoughts, plans and efforts.

Here’s what Abhishek Karnani, Director, Free Press Journal, has to say: “It is very important that a child remains a child. We, as parents, shouldn’t be in a hurry to turn him into an adult. The reason we’re want to highlight this issue in the way that we have – by changing our masthead – is because we think that sometimes, the message gets ignored when it is delivered in the form of an ad. Our innovation is supported by two full pages of articles. We will be taking this idea forward through the year, taking on multiple issues – like access to education, healthcare, safety, etc., on relevant national and international days.”

The idea was brought to us by Taproot Dentsu, one of India’s leading advertising agencies. Here’s what its Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Santosh Padhi (Paddy), had to say: “We want people to sit up and take notice of this pressing issue. We want to start a conversation and spark a change. We want to remind people, especially parents, about how detrimental it is to a child’s growth to pressurise them. A message that we think is particularly relevant to be given today. But one that they should keep in mind every single day.”