Indian Newspapers Research Articles

Strategic Partner for Development: How the EU is Perceived by Indian Political Elites, Civil Society and the Media

What is the European Union (EU) for India? What is the perception that political elites have of the EU and its role in world politics? How do civil society organizations view the EU? And what is the media coverage of the EU in Indian newspapers? This report attempts to answer those questions by drawing from a collection of qualitative data. Based on the limited information available, it was decided to look at all documents since the mid- 1990s until now. Since the author of the survey did not have access to first-hand data nor secondary surveys on the research topic (which do not seem to exist to date), all documents that are discussed in this report have been accessed through the internet.

The New Indians

This article looks at the processes of identity formation among Indian immigrants in the United States in the decade of the 1970s. Using letters to the editor of the expatriate Indian newspaper India Abroad, the article draws attention to two themes of identity formation. The first theme focuses on Indian immigrants' attempts at forming a pan-Indian identity in the United States that was markedly different from India; this identity excluded ethnic, religious, or caste affiliations. Although this attempt failed, Indian immigrants were successful in formulating a religious pan-Indian identity. The second theme draws attention to discourse among the Indian community regarding becoming a racial/ethnic minority in the United States.

Describing verb-complementational profiles of New Englishes

The present paper investigates the emergence of local norms in Indian English at the level of verb complementation, an area which so far has not attracted much attention in research into New Englishes. In attempting to describe the verb-complementational profile of Indian English, we offer a pilot study which combines a descriptive aim and a methodological aim. At the descriptive level, the present article focuses on ditransitive verbs and their complementation and addresses two related questions: (1) To what extent do the frequency and distribution of complementation patterns of specific ditransitive verbs (e.g. give) differ between Indian English and British English? (2) To what extent is the basic ditransitive pattern with two object noun phrases (e.g. in he sent Mary his warmest wishes) associated with different verbs in British English and Indian English? The present paper reveals that in both regards there are clear and identifiable differences in verb complementation between the two varieties. At the methodological level, this pilot study combines the use of balanced and representative subcorpora from the International Corpus of English (ICE) with the in-depth analysis of a much larger database that has been extracted from the Internet archive of the daily Indian newspaper The Statesman. This makes it possible to also detect examples of low-frequency constructions in Indian English, e.g. sporadic cases of ditransitive complementation of verbs such as advise, gift and impart.

Mediated Nationalisms and ‘Islamic Terror’: The Articulation of Religious and Postcolonial Secular Nationalisms in India

Drawing on Mahmood Mamdani’s analysis of the ‘good Muslim-bad Muslim’ dichotomy within American political and cultural discourse, this article analyses Hindu nationalists’ violent campaigns against India’s Muslim minority through a discussion of the reportage of two significant instances of this violence in Indian English-language newspapers. To explain the contradictory responses of the Indian press to these instances, the article argues that the prevalent liberal consensus of Indian nationalism, of which the press is a part, is responsible for the ambiguity that characterises mainstream responses to majoritarian violence against Muslims.

Assessment of Cultural Sensitivity of Cancer Information in Ethnic Print Media

Ethnic minority populations prefer cancer information that is respectful of their customs and beliefs about health and illness. Community newspapers are an important source of cancer information for ethnic groups. Our purpose is to evaluate the cultural sensitivity of cancer information in mass print media targeting ethnic minority readership. We assessed for cultural sensitivity 27 cancer articles published in English-language ethnic newspapers (Jewish, First Nations, Black/Caribbean, East Indian) in 2000 using the Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool (CSAT). We found that the overall average CSAT score of 27 cancer articles was 2.71. (Scores < 2.50 were classified as culturally insensitive.) Articles in First Nations newspapers were more culturally sensitive according to the CSAT , followed by articles in Black/Caribbean and Jewish papers. Cancer articles from East Indian newspapers had a mean CSAT score of 2.30 and were classified as culturally insensitive. Four articles were considered culturally sensitive but did not mention ethnic populations as intended readers or as high-risk groups for cancer. We found that, using the CSAT measure, overall, cancer articles in ethnic newspapers included in this study were culturally sensitive. Given limitations of this instrument, we recommend an additional checklist for evaluating the cultural sensitivity of printed cancer information.

Indian Media, the WTO and the Neoliberal Agenda

The media are an integral aspect of the society and their influence on our lives cannot be denied. Gradually, as the international media have become highly concentrated and integrated, this hold has increased manifold. The media have a unique position; not only are they hyper-commercial enterprises but they are also dispensers of information and carriers of corporate propaganda. This research paper argues that the media have exploited this unique status to support and assist the spread of global capitalism. They are the missionaries of capitalism in the 21st century. An important development in this regard has also been the formation of the World Trade Organization, a global organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. The combined power of a global media and international organizations like the WTO has had wide-reaching effects on the international economy, polity and civil society. As a study of contemporary media, among other things this paper discusses the political economy of the international media and media filters that shape the news content. Finally, through a qualitative media analysis of two Indian newspapers and an emphasis on the WTO, it examines where the Indian media stand vis-a-vis such discourses of globalization, capitalism and media monopoly.

Looking beyond Flawed Journalism

Press coverage of the run-up to the Iraq war and of the war itself has sparked a debate on how good or how bad the coverage has been in terms of journalistic virtues of truth telling, independent reporting, skepticism and challenging of official accounts, giving different sides of the story, and showing sensitivity and understanding. An analysis of the coverage in five major newspapers from the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, and India suggests that quite apart from the question whether good professional practices of journalism were followed, deeper influences were at work, among them national interests and concerns, the nature of elite opinion and debate over the war, and cultural and social practices. By and large, the American war frame, with its emphasis on the overall military strategy, dominated the American and the British newspapers but with distinct nuances reflecting a broad agreement on the war in the United States and divided opinion in Britain. On the other hand, there was a greater coverage of the Iraqi viewpoint and of civilian deaths in the Pakistani and the Indian newspapers.

Exploring the boundaries of biography: the family and friendship networks of Lady Curzon, Vicereine of India 1898–1905

This paper presents a biographical analysis of Mary Curzon, Vicereine of India (1898–1905) set within the context of her family and friendship circle. Outlining the archival records that have been used to explore Mary Curzon's family and friendship network, this paper discusses the methodological considerations that face biographical researchers, and presents the recent shifts in the method and theory of biography that have opened new avenues for geographers engaged with life writing. This paper argues that by placing the biographical subject within their friendship networks, the specificity of biography can be combined with greater engagement with the wider, social, cultural, economic and political contexts in which subjects lived. Letters formed the most frequent link to ‘home’ for those living in the ‘empire’, links that provided security, but also more practical forms of advice and support. Exploring the ways in which Mary presented her reproductive and ‘bodily ills’ through correspondence to her family and friendship circle, this paper demonstrates that Mary's friendship network offered avenues for mutual reassurance and advice. Mary Curzon's attempts to control the British and India newspaper press is examined, revealing that she used family and friends to shape representations of her health through the spaces of empire, and also to manipulate newspaper representation of Indian political affairs. This paper argues that biographical approaches offer an important mechanism to combine concerns of the body and the polity when addressing the position of women within the culture of empire.

India's Newspaper Revolution: Capitalism, Politics, and the Indian-Language Press, 1977–1999. By Jeffrey Robin. London: C. Hurst, 2000. xxi, 234 pp. £35.00 (cloth).

India's Newspaper Revolution: Capitalism, Politics, and the Indian-Language Press, 1977–1999. By Jeffrey Robin. London: C. Hurst, 2000. xxi, 234 pp. £35.00 (cloth).

Listening to Neglected Voices: American Indian Perspectives on Natural Resource Management

Abstract Forestry agencies must ensure that the views of all citizens in our increasingly diverse society are included in decisionmaking. But gaining clear insights into the perspectives of ethnic and minority communities is often difficult. This article summarizes an analysis of news articles about resource management issues written by American Indians and published in Indian newspapers and finds ways in which their attitudes differ from those of many other Americans–particularly in the importance of spiritual values and the validity of traditional knowledge. The news stories also indicate a deep lack of trust in land management agencies. This approach–analyzing perspectives on natural resource management as expressed in a community's own words–can be used to learn about the attitudes of other minority populations. Managers who know how all their constituents think about natural resources will better understand the social context in which decisions need to be made.

Web banner ads in online newspapers: a cross-national comparison of India and Korea

A cross-national content analysis was performed on 449 web banner ads taken from the online editions of leading Indian and Korean daily newspapers. There are substantial differences between Indian and Korean ads in terms of the types of products advertised, the presence of price cues and the types of appeals used. Korean newspaper websites are starting to attract a diverse mix of advertisers, while Indian newspaper websites attract ads targeted mainly towards expatriate non-resident Indians. The observed differences between the two countries are probably attributable more to differences in internet diffusion rather than to cultural differences.

International News Coverage in Four Indian Newspapers

In a modern society flooded with a vast range of media, newspapers provide a variety of information to readers and help them in making informed choices. Different types and categories of news events occurring at local, regional, national and international levels, selected on the basis of news values and newsworthiness form the core of a newspaper. International news bringing events from beyond national boundaries is a good indicator of the emphasis a newspaper places on global issues. The selection, placement and treatment accorded to international news, in addition to information dissemination, indicate the priorities and approach of a newspaper. In view of globalization, it becomes even more important that international news be given adequate space and projection in newspaper columns so that it contributes towards international goodwill and peace and helps in the understanding of cross-cultural relations. An overview of the Indian press will help to appreciate the projection of international news in the Indian press and situate it in a larger context.

‘Murdochization’ of the Indian press: from by-line to bottom-line

The Rupert Murdoch factor in the Western media has been widely debated. However, less attention has been focused on his influence in non-Western locales where he does not have an overt presence. His vision has transformed the press in India - a country with a diverse and rich press - that was at the forefront of its freedom struggle. Fifty-five years after independence, India opened its press for foreign participation in 2002; however, Murdoch has been omnipresent in its press since the late 1980s. Leading Indian newspapers adopted his market-oriented approach, which raised profits but also narrowed the editorial space for social issues. Indian commentators lament the Murdoch-inspired changes - often referred to as 'dumbing down' - but it is also true that the press has since increased its circulation and democratised local cultural and political networks. This article briefly tracks the shifts and suggests that a balance between the marketing and editorial needs to be struck for the press to continue to play a key role in the world's largest democracy.

Creating a Just Society: Lessons from Planning in the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.: An Interview with Harry Magdoff

In early July 2002, I asked Harry Magdoff if he would be interviewed for the Statesman, a Kolkata, India newspaper for which I write political commentary. Our first interview was so satisfying that we continued for several sessions. What follows is a discussion of something Harry has considered, what we can learn from the experience of the Soviet Union. It is, characteristically, concerned with learning from history. Harry is methodologically committed to the actual world from which all theory springs, to which it must speak, and to meet whose specific particularities it must continually be reshaped.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

Looking for Love?: Take a Cross-Cultural Walk Through the Personals.

Personal advertisements are powerful windows into understanding individuals, societal trends, and cultural values. "Personals" in the United States and elsewhere offer a unique opportunity to understand societal changes and cross-cultural issues. As one study demonstrates, personals reflect the societal importance placed on thinness in American women. A cross-cultural study shows how personals are used in understanding the American value of individualism and the Chinese values of family and society. Personals in an Indian newspaper and an Indian-American newspaper both demonstrate Indian values, yet the latter shows hints of American acculturation. For psychiatrists, the personals may be an important way to understand patients and their social and cultural contexts. Patients' ads may help the psychiatrist and patient understand the patients' values and fantasies, aid in treatment, and help form relationships.

Net Tarot in New Delhi

This paper examines the future of the internet in the developing world by examining the discourse of advertising. Based on a visual record of New Delhi and textual analysis of advertisements in a mass circulated Indian newspaper and magazine, it suggests that there is a need to rethink the discourse of digital celebration and euphoria that has accompanied the internet in the developing world, especially India. It argues that the themes emergent in the advertising of internet firms provide for a vision of the future of the internet which reifies issues of linguistic hegemony, technological solutions, a consumerist (rather than a citizenry) culture, and reiteration of the traditional discourses of masculinity and class. It suggests that we think about the future of internet technology in the developing world as intimately connected with issues of global capitalism and cultural hegemony in place of a focus on objects of technological innovation or individual innovators of technology.

A Bengali springtime

Anthony Bevins, the renowned political correspondent, died in March aged 58 following a brief and sudden illness. Sunanda Datta-Ray, former editor of the Calcutta based Indian daily newspaper The Statesman and Asia Correspondent for The Observer was an old friend and colleague. Here is his appreciation:

India's Newspaper Revolution: Capitalism, Politics and the Indian-Language Press, 1977-99

Introduction - a newspaper revolution? transforming advertising localizing owning editing/reporting controlling comparing.

An overview of science and technology coverage in Indian English-language dailies

News items on science and technology in English-language newspapers published in different parts of India during January-December 1996 were analyzed. Results indicate that the greatest proportion of newspaper space was devoted to nuclear science and technology, followed by defense, space research, and astronomy. The Pioneer, The Hindu, and The Times of India were the newspapers that together devoted about 23 percent of the total space to items on science and technology. The sources for most of the articles (97 percent) on policy issues originated from within India, while for other stories foreign sources, including those from the United States and the United Kingdom, also contributed. Many of the items were supported by illustrations such as photographs and diagrams. The study indicates that, on average, Indian newspapers devoted far less than one percent of the total printed space to articles and stories related to science and technology.

Developmental news coverage in the Indian press

Developmental journalism covers the entire gamut of socio-economic and cultural events, and it does not differ drastically from regular news coverage. Rather, its emphasis is more on developmental aspects keeping in view the context of development; and it examines critically and reports the relevance, enactment and impact of developmental programmes.This paper analyzes the coverage of developmental news in four Indian newspapers over a period of one year. It concludes that the coverage of developmental news is neither significant nor encouraging in the sample dailies.