The Newspapers
India’s first modern newspaper was the ‘Bengal Gazette’ that appeared in Calcutta (Kolkata) on 27th January, 1790. It Was brought out by an Englishman named J.A. Hickey in English. Then, Calcutta was the capital of India of East India Company. Since then, newspapers have steadily multiplied and flourished.
Today there are total of around 200 dailies in Indian languages and English. They are supplemented by 202 tri-weeklies, more than 1000 weeklies, 1500 plus monthlies and other prints numbering around 1500.
The press has become a very powerful institution. Advancement in printing technology has added to its growth. Today, the press plays an important role, both in the affairs of the nation and the lives of the people. Its power has been equaled to that of Parliament and Judiciary. The press can make or mar the fortunes of individual politicians and political parties. It has the capacity to catapult a person to the position of a national hero for the act of bravery, honesty, extraordinary deed or achievement.
On the other hand, the press can expose misdeeds of corrupt politicians, officials, smugglers, middlemen, crooks, quacks, frauds and tricksters. It can incite the people against the misdeeds of anti-social elements. The press can appreciate the good works of the government and inspire it to do better to improve its public image. For this the press must be impartial, objective, disciplined in the criticism and well balanced. A newspaper must not look like a propaganda bulletin.
Newspapers serve as a reader’s window to the outside world. The people learn about wars, tsunami, earthquakes, typhoons, accidents happening around the world and other developments. World political events are also relayed to a reader by his newspaper. It also tells him about weather, temperature, forecasts, planetary positions, local entertainment news, concerts, movies, music or art shows. Job seekers scan ‘Situation Vacant’ columns, ‘Matrimonial’s’ and ‘Sale’ also attract considerable attention of interested readers.
Businessmen pour on market news, share prices and wholesale rates of the various mandis. Sale and purchase of properties is also conducted through the newspapers. Kids adore cartoon pages and for sports enthusiasts every newspaper has ‘Sports’ columns and whole pages covering sporting events. There is something for everyone. That is why we feel lost if we don’t get our daily newspaper.
Of course, the political developments are the main items on the menu of a newspaper. They effect nations and individual lives directly. So, the reporting on the politics should be unbiased and objective to give the readers correct picture.
Untrue news can do great harm as they can mislead the people into doing wrong acts or taking wrong decisions. Similarly, distorted reporting on international news can cause unnecessary ill feeling between the governments and the people of the two countries.
As the press is a powerful medium of publicity, sometimes political parties or their politicians start and finance newspapers. The motive is to propagate their own ideology, thinking and policy line. Since such newspapers are not objective, they rarely gain popularity.
We are living in a age of complexities. All issues have become very complex. Situations are complex. The facts are complex. All the subjects are riddled with side issues and X-factors. Correspondingly the national concerns and policies of the government are also complex. It takes experts to analyze issues and the policies. An average person finds himself incapable of forming his own judgments or understanding the problems.
Newspapers educate their readers on various issues and policies through editorials and articles by experts on various subjects. It helps form a public opinion depending on the credibility of a newspaper or its experts on a particular subject. Many of the national dailies are owned by the business houses. In such cases, editorial wings often face pressure from the management to follow a certain line to suit the interest of the owners. The editors must boldly resist the pressure in favour of public interest.
Every daily, big or small devotes a space for its readers to let them express their opinion. It is generally called ‘Letters to the Editor.’ The readers reveal what they feel and highlight their grievances. It serves as a public forum and gives an idea of how the people are reacting to certain issues and developments. The authorities also keep an eye on this column and sometimes try to take corrective measure in case of a complaint.
The press is the watch dog of the interests of the people and the nation. It is truly the fourth pillar of the democracy, the champion of the democratic traditions. Through the comments, editorials, useful data, visuals and editorials, the newspapers disseminate the policies and the practices of the government the benefit of the people. In this task the editors, specialists in various fields, academicians and political scientists play a big role through analytical lead articles. They are generally fair whereas the pressmen often go overboard. At times press people put in distorted news with selfish motives. It leads to gross misinformation or disinformation which is not a healthy sign.
The reporters must files stories only after verifying the facts. to avoid unconscious falsehood or distortion. The wrong reports can damage the reputation of a person or an institution. The revelation of the truth will caste doubts on the credibility of the press. Care should be taken and the press must retain public trust. The free press must carry on its responsibilities.
The news T.V. Channels can’t replace the printed press. The channels only carry flavour of the news but the newspapers serve the real dish.
