INDIAN PRESS

Dr. J. Janardhan
 EVOLUTION OF INDIAN PRESS
 Printing press was brought to India in the 16th century
 The first printed book in India was ‘Doctrina Christa’ in
1557 in Goa
 The English East India Company also set up printing
presses
 The birth of the first newspaper in the country was
towards the end of the 18th century
 THE FIRST NEWSPAPER IN INDIA
 William Bolts, announced the first N.P. in India in 1776.
 He asked people to come to residence to read the news
 This newspaper had the two functions
informing the British community of news
Ventilating grievances against the colonial rule
 HICKY’S GAZETTE
 James Augustus Hicky published the first Indian English
newspaper-Bengal Gazette on 29th Jan, 1780
 It also called as ‘Calcutta Advertiser’
 Popularly known as ‘Hickey’s Gazette’
 HICKY’S GAZETTE
 His contribution makes him as ‘Father of Indian
Journalism’
 Its carried only advertisements in the front page
 He was the founder, editor, printer and promoter of this
weekly
 It was really concerned the Indians
 HICKY’S GAZETTE

 It was a weekly political and commercial paper

 He describes that ‘it opens to all parties & influenced by
none’
 His objective was ‘British Administrative’ private affairs
 Year later, ‘Sir Warren Hastings’ denied all postal facilities
 HICKY’S GAZETTE
 Hastings finally took action against Hicky for defamation
in 1781
 He was convicted and sentenced to a year’s imprisonment
and to pay a fine of Rs. 2000.
 In March 1782, the Bengal Gazette was suppressed
 This marked the premature and unceremonious end of
India’s first newspaper
 HICKY’S GAZETTE
 Hicky considered the ‘liberty of the press’ to be essential
 In June, 1781, Hicky was arrested
 He was stopped from bringing out the ‘Hicky’s Gazette’
 In1780, Indian Gazette, appeared in Kolkata
 It was better in quality with 4 pages of 16 inches long
 It had three columns and it was well printed.
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BENGAL…
 After 1790, ‘The Asiatic Mirror’ was started
 In 1795, The Indian World, The Calcutta Courier, The Indian
Apollo begun
The Bengal Harakaru was Started by Charles Maclean in 1795
In 1798, The Calcutta Morning Post & Oriental Star were
started
There was a war b/w British Administration and the press
 In 1799, Lord Wellesley introduced the Press Censorship in
Bengal
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BENGAL…
 Under the British rule, Fourth Estate was seized
 William Duane, Irish-American editor was suffered
 He started ‘Bengal Journal’

 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BENGAL…

 Lord Cornwallis issued an order for arresting William

Duane
 Later, He couldn’t continued as Bengal Journal’s editor
 In 1795, he then started ‘Indian World’
 JAMES SILK BUCKINGHAM …
 Sir James Silk Buckingham assumed as editor of
‘Calcutta Journal’ in 1818
 It was an eight-page biweekly newspaper
 He was fearless in condemning the local custom of ‘sati’
 He gave prominence to news and views
 British authorities became intolerant on his criticism
 John Adam, Governor-General, deported Buckingham to
England
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BOMBAY…

 In 1789, ‘The Bombay Herald’ appeared as weekly

 The second N.P from Bombay ‘The Bombay Courier’ was
founded in 1790.
 Luke Ashburner, Alderman were the editors
 The Bombay Gazette was established in June 1791
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BOMBAY…
 The Courier- Changed to The Bombay Times on 3rd
November, 1838.
 It was fore runner of ‘Times of India’
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN BOMBAY…

 The Govt. ordered to submit the copies to Pre-Censorship

 Later, Bombay Herald was announced as Govt. paper
 They deliberately avoided the conflict with Govt.
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN MADRAS…

 Richard Johnston founder of the first newspaper in Madras

 The Madras Courier existed on 12th Oct, 1785
 It was officially recognised by authorities
 It was a weekly with four pages
 EARLY JOURNALISM IN MADRAS…
 In 1795, Robert Williams started ‘Madras Gazette’ –Weekly
 In 1795, Indian Herald was started by Humphreys
 Censorship was introduced on 12th Dec, 1795
 The press in Madras began to feel early the heavy hand
THANK YOU