Today, not many people living in big cities can say that they know their paper man, but Abu Dhabi resident Ramesh Menon can.
Having been a subscriber of Gulf News for almost 30 years, Menon said: “I have a personal relationship with the newspaper boy. I wake up early so I invariably see him. Once, the paper was delivered later than usual. When it finally came to my doorstep, the paperboy rang the bell to let me know that it had been dropped off and apologised for the delay.”
Menon subscribes to more than one newspaper because he enjoys reading, but has always preferred the way Gulf News covers events. He said: “It is the preferred newspaper here, especially when it comes to community and regional stories. The coverage is good and the quality of language and content has always been consistent.”
He enjoys skimming through the front page for the top headlines and reads community related stories in The Views section as well. He even reads the sports section and likes the presentation of the paper as a whole.
While enjoying the print medium, Menon does not neglect the online Gulf News website and said he is constantly up-to-date with the headlines and top stories.
“Every newspaper covers certain pieces of news differently.” He added that it is nice to see what angles each newspaper takes when presenting their copy.
“I have kept special editions that Gulf News has come out with because I like collecting such copies. I keep them in a special box. For example, on the 30th anniversary, the Gulf News paper came in an envelope like an invitation, which I really liked, so I have kept that safely.”
The 50-year-old started subscribing to Gulf News when he moved to the UAE and has always encouraged his children, now grown up, to read the newspaper as well. He added that he has always “enjoyed reading Gulf News”.
