How Newspatrolling is Creating a Niche in a World Dominated by Media Giants

Pankaj Bansal, founder, and CEO at Newspatrolling tells us about designing and developing news websites.

First of all, how are you and your family doing in these COVID-19 times?

Pankaj Bansal: Recent times have been tough, but thankfully, things have turned out fine for us. We have been taking the recommended precautions such as wearing a mask, washing our hands, and keeping a safe distance. These measures have helped us stay away from trouble. Our parents have already been vaccinated, and now we are waiting for our turn. 

Tell us about you, your career, and how you founded Newspatrolling.

Pankaj Bansal: As I have always believed in the power of media, it was a natural career choice for me. I think that the level of influence media can have on people is simply unparalleled. The role of media has become even more important in today’s information age when people can access news and updates anytime, anywhere. 

After a brief stint at a media agency, I decided to launch my own venture. I was looking to create a platform that can provide unbiased stories, news, reviews, opinions, insights, and information to anyone who may be looking for it. The idea ultimately led to the launch of Newspatrolling.com in 2013. Initial years were tough, as it takes time to make readers understand what we are here for. As of now, we are in a comfortable position and consistently making progress. We believe that our focus on unbiased, quality content will be appreciated by more users in the coming years. 

How does Newspatrolling innovate?

Pankaj Bansal: Our innovation relates to the type of content we publish. We are not in the game for creating a deluge, but instead, we focus on content that’s unique, insightful, and difficult to find anywhere else. Anything that can add value to our readers or help them in any way is always a priority area. We regularly upload posts from renowned people including doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, academicians, artists, etc., so that our readers can benefit from their wise words, expertise, and experience. 

How does the coronavirus pandemic affect your business finances?

Pankaj Bansal: Although we did not wish for it and will never make such a wish, the Covid-19 pandemic has actually helped us improve readership. The reason is obvious as web traffic has increased around the globe due to Covid-19. Being an online content platform, we have benefited from this surge in online users and time spent browsing the internet. 

Did you have to make difficult choices regarding human resources and what are the lessons learned?

Pankaj Bansal: We believe that we are one family, so we are unlikely to choose options like reducing headcount or pay package. The pandemic did not impact our operations negatively, but even if it had, we would have taken hard decisions about our staff only as a last resort. Most of our staff works remotely and thankfully none of them have reported any adverse events till now.

How did your customer relationship management evolve? Do you use any specific tools to be efficient?

Pankaj Bansal: We have a decent level of workflow, but we have been able to manage it quite well with the standard set of MS Office tools. As we scale up further, we may have to go for more advanced project management platforms. 

Did you benefit from any government grants, and did that help keep your business afloat?

Pankaj Bansal: We are a private, independent agency and do not qualify for any government grants. 

Your final thoughts?

Pankaj Bansal: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers, who have always appreciated us for our efforts. Without their support, we wouldn’t have come this far. We remain committed to providing useful content to our readers in the future as well.  

Your website?

http://www.newspatrolling.com/