ease its visual appeal. The mast-head
must be the single-most prominent item on page one. All
attributes of the publication must be associated with
its mast-head. Once you see it, you must remember its
worth, its credibility and its readability.

Footer: The footer of a newspaper or free-sheeter comes
in fine print at the bottom of the last page. It is
inconspicuous to the casual reader. It gives the
details of the publisher, editor(s) and printer. This
is mandatory by law. In libel and defamation cases,
these names become the 'defendants' along with the
correspondent under whose by-line the news was
published. The Advertisements Standards Council of
India (ASCI) also knows who, besides the advertiser, to
go after for violation of the law. The footer also
gives the registration number of the newspaper with the
Registrar of Newspapers (RNI). Every free-sheeter has
to apply for registration through the District
Collector. The organization distributing and issuing
the free-sheeter is not free from responsibilities. The
footer is an acknowledgment that it knows its business
and how to mind it.

Organization: A free-sheeter is not like a
free-wheeling collection of articles and news reports.
Like any periodical it has to be organized into
sections like current news, issues, campus and club
news, entertainment, competitions, brain teasers, and
the like. Such a grouping of information makes it
easier to find the item one is looking for. A person
will first glance through the page that is likely to
contain information of interest to him or her. If it is
interesting, the copy will be picked up. Free-sheeters
are generally not 'delivered' at home; so each issue
has to pass the clinical test of reader's interest.

Layout: A tasty dish that is not presented well may be
left untouched on the buffet table. The same is the
case with a free-sheeter at the news stands or
distribution counter. It is not a monopoly. People who
have a choice exercise it. A good blend of visuals
(photos, illustration, and the like) and text makes a
copy appealing. Even advertisements can be used to
achieve this. If the publication has access to a layout
artist, it helps.

Advent of Free sheeters in Goa

Perhaps the first free-sheeter to hit Goa was Vasco
Watch, edited by Cmdr (Retd) A. Narayanan who is
associated with the group Citizen's Watch. His attempt
at Margao News was not half as successful, basically
because there was no significant