Author: Rautela, Vikram Singh
Publication Year: 2022
Keywords: Impact of social media,newspapers,Uttarakhand
Abstract: Newspapers are losing their circulation and readership across the globe. However, this pattern has not yet reached India, where print media still dominates the market alongside television and the developing digital media. The newspaper industry has dwindled and newspaper readership is gradually declining throughout the world. In India, newspaper sales have been increasing significantly. Newspaper advertising income is anticipated to increase as India's economy strengthens, according to rating agency Crisil.
The introduction of more recent media into the information and communication space has altered how society communicates and takes in information and news. The traditional media remains a crucial component of society. It is a successful method of connecting people in all corners of the globe.
As modern technology emerges, it inevitably enables previously impossible or unimaginable methods of accomplishing things. We have grown less reliant on the conventional hard-copy newspaper as a significant source of knowledge about the world, for instance, despite the abundance of news sources available via the Internet. The Internet has drastically altered how papers are read, operated, subsidised, and managed, for better or ill.
In the forty years after 1981, there has been a significant rise in India's literacy rate. India's literacy rate has increased from 73% in 2011 to 77.7% in 2022, according to a nationwide poll. The figures from the most recent census show a 4% increase. The expansion of print media in India has been largely attributed to rising literacy rates as well as the emergence of larger regional language journals in the newsprint market. Unknown to many is the reality that newspapers generally cost substantially more outside of India. During the initial interactions the researcher had with some of the stakeholders, this was further emphasised, "The reason for this is that newspapers in India are manufactured from recycled paper. It follows that the newspapers read in India and afterwards sold to scrap dealers would finally end up in paper factories where they will be recycled. According to Vijay Kumar, Secretary General of Indian Newspapers Manufacturers Association, 57, Panchkuian Road, New Delhi, who spoke with the researcher over the phone on May 31, 2022, the cost of the newspaper in India is significantly lower when based solely on the cost of newsprint.
Many people all around the world choose to read the news online due to the widespread use of the Internet, cellphones, and other digital devices. However, a sizable portion of the population in India still lacks proper access to the Internet and appropriate gadgets. Despite the fact that India is experiencing a mobile revolution, the average Indian cannot afford smartphones. According to a Deloitte report, India had 1.2 billion mobile customers in 2021, with 750 million of those being smartphone users.
If the country's waste paper recovery rate rises much more, according to Vijay Kumar, the domestic industry will be able to supply all of the country's newsprint needs. He also denied that the Indian government provides any subsidies to newsprint makers. "At the moment. efficient waste segregation at the source is not taking place. India will be able to enhance its exports and achieve self-sufficiency if consumers and business work together under the Swachh Bharat Mission, he added.
Digital technology is a brilliant illustration of how publication and distribution have become more democratic. One component of digital technology that has the ability to effectively mediate between the governed and those governed is new media. While conventional newspapers also have political leanings known as paid news, there are additional limits like espionage and wiki-leaks. Information found on New Media is becoming more trustworthy.
Over time, there has been a major change in the dynamics of information access. In comparison to contemporary computer media, which is instantaneous and interactive, the process of trying to communicate news to the current generation looks redundant since it requires several stages and is passive. In India, newspapers certainly merit extraordinary growth. People give the time credit for doing a better job of reporting local interest news than the politically and nationally focused web sites, which frequently ignore them.
People have become accustomed to obtaining news for free, and it would be difficult to reverse the existing system. Some individuals believe that papers will continue to exist for decades due to the relatively low Internet accessibility in developing nations, a fact that will not alter in many of these nations in the future decades. According to 'Internet use statistics' (Internet World Stats), the availability of the Internet in the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania/Australia is significantly lower than in Asia, Europe, and North America. This is the first reason why some individuals believe newspapers will endure for a very long time. Additionally, printed publications appear more accessible in local places. The human race will need newspapers nevertheless, since Internet fatigue is a reality. In situations when it is inconvenient or even forbidden to switch on notebooks, such as restaurants or aeroplanes, waiters or stewards may recommend newspapers to read in order to keep up with the newest news. Because this type of service is unlikely to undergo significant change, newspapers must persist at least in modest numbers.
The fact that there are numerous regional language newspapers that are successful in India, where there are dozens of regional languages, indicates that for many people in towns and rural regions, the newspaper continues to be their main source of information. This is largely because not all areas are covered by regional TV networks even today. According to market forecasts, India's regional newspaper market is expected to continue to grow.
Because advertisers view newspapers as a prominent method of connecting with the general public, newspapers are frequently read in India. They buy newspaper advertising using their advertising expenditures. The newspapers continue to be a reliable outlet for the advertising while being hampered by the Internet. The current state of media shows that consumers and advertisers have far more options than in the past. The future for Indian print media is still positive and dynamic even though the print business is suffering from the onslaught of online journalism. The confidence and support of advertising brands remains strong for newspapers.
In India, newspapers no longer just serve as news sources, but have evolved into "brands." Media companies like The Times Group's owner, Bennett and Coleman Co. Ltd., market their commodities as brands that can be consumed similarly to other items. Newspaper readers in India are more than just information consumers; they also display brand loyalty to their "favourite" newspaper, which they deem superior to other newspapers. In contrast to western nations where newspapers and their readership are declining, India's newspaper industry is growing for the reasons listed above. These newspapers enjoy a high level of brand loyalty among its readers and customers throughout all of India. Some readers only read The Hindu, The Times of India, or other publications exclusively.
This qualitative exploratory study sought to examine how social media is influencing how reporters obtain news, how the editing team is organised and functions, and how news is disseminated throughout the various sections of the traditional print media in Uttarakhand. The intention was to offer recommendations that would support the newspaper's efforts to maintain its attractiveness, relevance, and efficiency among important audiences in the era of new media.
The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine how social media is influencing the organisational structure, day-to-day business, and journalistic ethics of Uttarakhand newspapers, a long-standing print medium in India. The intention was to provide support for the newspapers amid the digital era in Uttarakhand, so that they can continue to serve their readers and other interested parties. To achieve this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with reporters, correspondents, and editorial staff from both print and online versions of well-read local newspapers. The objective was to learn how they see social media's impact on news gathering, editing workflow and the spread of stories in the newspaper industry.
Future studies can concentrate on the variables that influence the media choices made by readers of news and stories as well as the commercial strategies that print media can use to remain relevant in the social media era. This will make it possible for print media to adopt tactics that will help it maintain its status as a reliable source of news and information. The genuine identity and power paradigms of Uttarakhand's newspapers shall be preserved.
Guide: Gupta, Subhash
University: Graphic Era Hill University Dehradun
Shodh Ganga Link: View Thesis
Category: Social Media
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