"We are responsible for the process, not the numbers": Paritosh Joshi, MRUC

After a long gestation period, the new Indian Readership Survey (IRS) was finally released in Mumbai yesterday. With quite a few changes at the methodology level, the new process is touted to be more accurate and comprehensive. The introduction of DS CAPI, a new digital entry system at the interview level, and data fusion, which includes dividing the questionnaire into two sets to avoid responder fatigue, are a couple of examples.

The research sample has also changed, not just numerically but demographically as well. The sample size has fallen in size by 10-15 thousand, but is still upwards of 2.3 lakh and is expected to touch 2.5 lakh in a year. The sample is inclusive of newer geographies - Jammu, the seven North Eastern (NE) states, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Andaman.

We spoke to Paritosh Joshi, chairman, TechCom and board member, MRUC, to understand the implications of these changes.

Edited Excerpts

It is simply a matter of completeness. The study has been criticised for keeping some geographies out of its scope. In the past we lacked an economic argument for including some of these areas and in certain cases like J&K and NE states, there was a very real and practical question of the safety of our interviewers. Additionally, the media development in many of these states was relatively poor.

However, things are beginning to change. A chicken-and-egg argument can be made; since data wasn't available, the media market couldn't grow beyond a point and data can't be made available since the market is small. We have now introduced an independent measurement system in the market and hope the local and national buyer and seller of media space will make more lucrative use of this data.

IRS is the 'Indian' Readership Survey; it is not the 'metro' or 'Class-I' town or 'West Indian' or 'North Indian' Readership Survey. So, there's a responsibility to be as comprehensive as possible.

We would also like to include the Kashmir valley, but it's a risky proposition.

The impact can be that few regional publications like Assam Tribune will grow and get reported. Until now, one didn't understand the reach frequency of a publication like that. The market for these publications is as important as that for companies like Marico, HUL and P&G. Now, these publications can project themselves on the national map. It will enhance overall readership.

Also, national players might strengthen their distribution in these markets or may be launch editions there.

This change in the SEC is the reality of India. Slowly but surely an expanding economy is creating economic opportunity at the bottom of the pyramid. The best example is REGA (Rural Employment Guarantee Act) which has started to give these sections income, thereby putting them in the consuming class. They grew out from E3 and got into E2. The lowest slab of the economic spectrum of the country has effectively halved in the last five years. Similarly, A1 has more than doubled.

Media consumption is directly correlated to the level of economic prosperity. Once people move out from the destitute classes and enter the consuming classes, their appetite for entertainment and right to information grow.

IRS lends a strategic view, which can be used to formulate better policies depending on which parts of the country are growing/de-growing. We have not promoted IRS data for this usage, but I think it can very well be used for this. Since it a quarterly report, IRS is a continuous ECG of what's happening to the country.

The big problem with interviewing on paper is coding errors and even coding mischief. If I, as an interviewer code A, and you, as a respondent said B, you can never cross check, because you are on the other side of the table.

About a week's training was given to the interviewers on the field. One person can interview three-four people in a day and there are about 400 interviewers. It takes ten thousand man weeks of effort, which is done across six months.

We ask respondents about the publication, not the edition, they are reading and track it based on geography. So, if the Pune edition of TOI is being read in Mumbai and a respondent in Mumbai gives that answer, it will be considered a Mumbai entity and not a Pune entity.

This won't impact readership numbers of publications, but might hurt readership numbers of individual editions. However, readership of the publication at the country or state level shouldn't change; it might change on the city or district level.

As you aggregate upwards, the little things disappear. But the lowest granularity might be impacted, as these numbers are used in the case of local/area-specific campaigns, for instance real-estate full page ads or promotion of a one-off on-ground event.

Any joint industry body (JIB) has a responsibility of constantly working on building trust in the process. JIBs are not interested in the numbers directly. By definition, they are not inclined towards anybody; MRUC and RSCI love nobody and hate nobody.

We will continue to work towards making the process and results statistically reliable and ethically trustworthy. Sometimes I feel we're too sensitive about minor drops and increases in numbers.

We are answerable for the methodology, not for the numbers.