Author: Tyagi, Shikha
Publication Year: 2024
Keywords: lockdown due to covid 19,newspaper industry,Uttarakhand
Abstract: ABSTRACT
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered profound economic disruptions across various sectors worldwide. Among the most affected industries is the newspaper industry, which was already grappling with challenges such as declining print readership and dwindling advertising revenues before the pandemic.
The Economic Implications of Lockdown (due to COVID-19) on the Newspaper Industry of the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Regions of India. This research work, presented for a research degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, aims to understand and analyze the economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the Newspaper Industry in the states of U.P. and Uttarakhand of India.
This research aims to investigate the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis on newspapers, examining the shifts in readership patterns, advertising revenues, circulation figures, and overall impact on the page make-up, and variety in news. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes in the newspaper industry, impacting its economics, circulation, readership, design, content, and credibility. Notably, COVID-19 influenced the financial stability of newspapers, affecting their advertising revenues and operational costs. Moreover, circulation figures were affected as lockdowns and social distancing measures led to changes in reading habits, fear of spreading the virus through newspapers, and reduced physical accessibility to newspapers. This pandemic-induced shift also prompted alterations in the design and content of newspapers, with increased emphasis on digital platforms and coverage of pandemic-related topics. The pandemic also affected newspaper staff and journalists, with job cuts, pay reductions, and increased workloads becoming prevalent. These challenges underscored the importance of journalism in uncovering truths amidst societal upheavals, highlighting the resilience and dedication of journalists in serving their communities during turbulent times. This research seeks to address these critical questions, aiming to provide insights into the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19 on the newspaper industry.
Utilizing a combination of quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews, this study offers a comprehensive assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on newspapers. The research was conducted in the two states of India, U.P and Uttarakhand, with two questionnaire surveys. The first survey included 608 respondents and the second survey had 201.
respondents. Additionally, 26 interviews from media experts and others were conducted to examine the overall impact on the Newspaper economy during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The research illustrates that more than 50% of people admitted that they believed newspapers could spread the COVID-19 virus, leading them to stop purchasing newspapers altogether.
The study revealed that 57% of the people observed that the number of product-based ads like SMCGs: ACs, fridges, TVs, comfort items, and FMCGs like cosmetic brands, indeed decreased during the Corona epidemic. The study shows that 66% of people observed the disappearance of vehicle and luxury item ads from newspapers during the Corona lockdown.
The study revealed that 54% of people felt that newspaper page makeup was significantly affected. While 57% noticed that there was a significant lack of variety in news coverage during the Corona pandemic. The second survey also confirms that up to 50% of people had left newspapers and shifted to news portals. 45.3% of people have said this. This figure is even more alarming as 34.3% of people have indicated that 75% of people shifted to online portals for seeking information. Moreover, 88.5% of media experts informed about the reduction in the salaries of journalists in newspapers. In the interview, 88.4% of people admitted that due to COVID-19 there has been a retrenchment in newspapers due to which people have lost their jobs. The study revealed another important fact that 40.13% of people in the U.P and Uttarakhand regions of India preferred watching TV news channels for credible information, the second place was social media, whereas newspapers lagged in the matter of trust and reached the third position with 24.34%. Thus, the findings and data interpretation, clearly conclude the substantial economic impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the newspaper industry in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand regions of India.
Keywords: Print media, newspaper industry, COVID-19, economy, readership, circulation, advertising, revenue
Guide: Gupta, Subash
University: Graphic Era Hill University Dehradun
Shodh Ganga Link: View Thesis
Category: Media Studies
View All Theses Back to Home