Mid-day is a Mumbai compact daily newspaper founded in 1979 by journalist Khalid A-H Ansari, with its first issue dated 27 June 1979. It is known for city news, entertainment, sport and lifestyle, publishes online at mid-day.com, and has a sister Gujarati edition for Mumbai readers. Since 2010 its publisher, Mid-Day Infomedia, has been part of Jagran Prakashan. Mid-day suits businesses with a genuine Mumbai story: a local launch, opening, event or community initiative. Publication is always the newspaper’s own decision.
Mid-day at a glance
- Founded: 1979 in Mumbai by Khalid A-H Ansari, whose family also published the Urdu daily Inquilab. A Sunday edition followed in 1981.
- Format: a compact, tabloid-sized newspaper. It originally printed morning and noon editions, which is where the name comes from.
- Ownership: in 2010 Jagran Prakashan, publisher of Dainik Jagran, acquired the print business, including Mid-day, Gujarati Mid-day and Inquilab, through a share swap.
- Focus: Mumbai. Editions in Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune were later closed, so the paper is firmly a city title.
Why a city newspaper matters
National outlets reach the whole country but have little space for local stories. A city paper like Mid-day reaches people who live, work and shop in one metro. For a restaurant, clinic, school, real estate project, retail store or event in Mumbai, a local readership can be worth more than a national one, because readers can act on the story.
Stories that fit a Mumbai daily
- Openings and launches: a new store, restaurant, office or service available in Mumbai.
- Events: exhibitions, performances, festivals, workshops or sporting events in the city.
- Community impact: initiatives on civic issues, the environment, health, education or heritage in specific neighbourhoods.
- City data: findings about Mumbai commuting, housing, spending or lifestyle from your own research.
- People: founders, artists, chefs or athletes with a strong Mumbai connection.
Writing a release for Mid-day readers
- Put the Mumbai angle in the headline and first line: name the area, the date and what is happening.
- Keep it short and lively. Compact newspapers favour tight stories with strong pictures.
- Give practical details: address, timings, prices and how to take part.
- Include a local quote, ideally from someone readers can relate to.
- Send good photos with captions, and offer interview or visit opportunities.
Gujarati Mid-day and multilingual audiences
Mumbai has a large Gujarati-speaking population, and Gujarati Mid-day serves those readers. If your customers include Gujarati speakers, preparing an adapted Gujarati version of your release can widen your reach. Keep names, figures and dates identical across languages.
A single newspaper, not a wire
Mid-day is one publication. A news agency such as PTI distributes stories to many subscribing outlets at once, whereas a release submitted to a newspaper is considered by its own editors for its own pages and website. It is often sensible to combine a city paper with wider distribution when you want both local and national visibility.
What to expect from a Mid-day submission
- Realistic: a well-written release submitted to the right desk and a report on where the story appeared.
- Not realistic: a promised article, a fixed publication date or a front-page slot.
- Timing: send event news well ahead of the date so editors can plan, and follow up only once with new information.
- Links: if any placement is paid, links in it should be marked as sponsored rather than passed off as editorial.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending a national announcement with no Mumbai detail and hoping a city desk will find the local angle.
- Attaching low-resolution or stock images when the paper relies on strong visuals.
- Sending the release after the event has already happened.
- Leaving out a contact who can answer questions quickly on the day.
Measuring the result
Track the coverage you receive, enquiries from Mumbai, footfall at events or openings, and branded searches in the following days. Share any coverage on your website and social channels so it keeps working after publication day.
For wider reach, compare national outlets like Hindustan Times and Outlook, or see all PR and press release services.