NEWSPAPER IN COLONIAL INDIA

INTRODUCTION :
Newspaper can be defined as a printed means of conveying current information. Today the newspaper in India is a proud institution of
our society. While working as a vehicle of persuasion its basic function is to provide info-edu-tainment (information, education and
entertainment). It also plays the role of ‘watch dog’ of the society.
Man is a social animal and every human being has an unquenchable thirst to communicate. Now a day’s man has evolved various
systems and technologies for communication. From the development of language and scripts to printing and finally to the world-wide-
web of the internet, we have developed an impressive array of communication systems. With the help of these systems only, we are able
to send messages instant across vast distances and arouse similar meanings in millions of people simultaneously. Be it newspapers,
magazines, books, radio, television etc.
In a democratic country like India, mass media plays a vital role in creating awareness in the people about the national policies and
programmes, besides providing a healthy entertainment. It helps people to become active partners in the nation-building endeavour. Apart
from the three public institutions in a democratic society, consisting of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, the press is
regarded as the Fourth Estate. Amongst the mass media, the press is deemed as the most powerful and influential medium. The press has
a very important place in the society especially in a democratic country because the press, as the voice of the people, embodies the
freedom of speech and expression of the citizens. The press contributes its major share for the upliftment of the society in the modern
age. The masses today depend greatly on the press for local, national as well as international news. In spite of the heavy impact of the
radio and television on the public, newspaper still continues to serve as the basic news medium. A newspaper is an unbound publication
issued at regular intervals that seeks to inform, explain and interpret, influence and entertain the general masses. Although the
newspapers lack the speed and the visual quality of radio and television news, yet they provide greater depth and variety in reporting. A
newspaper, according to Librarian’s Glossary (1977)(1) is a “publication issued periodically usually daily or weekly containing the most
recent news”. According to the ALA Glossary (1983)(2), the newspaper is “a serial issued at stated frequent intervals (usually daily,
weekly or semi-weekly) containing news, opinions, advertisements and other items of current affairs often of local interest”. International
Encyclopedia of Information Technology and Library Science (1942)(3) describes it as “a publication issued at stated and frequent
intervals daily, weekly or semi weekly which reports events and discuss topics of current interest”. Glossary of Library Science and
Technical 1 Terms (1980)(4> defines it as “a publication reporting the most recent events and discussing topics of current interest, issued
periodically, usually daily”. Newspaper serves many functions including provision of a daily chronicle of events, serving as a political
organ and promoting free speech. No other information source is as comprehensive in its coverage of daily life or as wide in its scope of
possible content as is the newspaper. Newspaper also serves as an important historical source, both primary and secondary, for scholars in
all disciplines, librarians, teachers, students and genealogists who use the newspapers’ content for relevant material to answer their
research questions. The contents of newspaper are never out of date, since they are a continuing history of mankind. As a result, the
libraries keep complete files of the newspapers in hard copy or microform so that, they are permanently available to their users.
Newspaper, therefore, is considered as the most popular mass media. A newspaper reader can obtain a lot of information regarding local,
national and international current affairs from a single issue of a newspaper. A newspaper caters to the needs of different readers by
publishing various types of news such as political, economic, social, scientific, developmental, criminal, religious, sports, etc. Infact,
newspaper has four basic responsibilities towards the society, These include provision of information, offering guidance or interpretation
of the news, entertainment and to serve the public. People belonging to different strata of the society, such as journalists, feature writers,
administrators, academicians, research scholars as well as the common people make use of the newspapers in their personal as well as
professional lives. As such, a newspaper is a medium that caters to the divergent interests of the society.
 ABSTRACT:
The period when newspaper were sold in COLONIAL INDIA is also known as GOLDEN ERA OF NEWPAPER IN INDIA.
- Therefore, in the late 18th and early 19th century, no reputed journalist or newspaper emerged. Then some merchants of Calcutta
in 1811 started ‘Calcutta Chronicle’ and the editor was James Silk Buckingham. He had introduced a new approach to Journalism
in India. He initiated clear journalistic practices and covered the problems of local people and their lives. Even he had started a
movement against the evil practice of ‘Sati’.
- Then, Raja Ram Mohan Roy a social reformer recognized the power of newspapers and started a Bengali newspaper ‘Sambad
Kaumudi’ in 1822 and a Persian paper ‘Mirat-ul-Akhbar’ in 1822. Fardaonji Murzban in 1822 started ‘Bombay Samachar’, he was
a pioneer of the Vernacular Press in Bombay.
- 3 November, 1838 - The Times of India issued its first edition as The Bombay Timesand Journal of Commerce.
1857 is known as the year of the emergence of journalism in India
- In 1857, newspapers owned by Indians and British were divided and the government passed the Vernacular Press Act in 1876.
- 1861 - The first edition of The Times of India was published by Robert Knight.
- During the British rule Indian newspaper came into existence and played an important role in the country’s freedom struggle. In
fact newspaper worked as ‘mouth pieces’ of the freedom struggle whether at the national and regional level.
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak brought Kesari and Mahratta newspaper, Mahatma Gandhi started Young India and Harijan. Jawaharlal
Nehru started the National Herald.
- In newspapers, many changes took place after Independence. Even the working style of journalists changed. After independence,
most of the newspapers brought into the hands of Indians. News agency services became available on a regular basis with
the Press Trust of India which was started in 1946.
- Now missionary phase of newspaper was replaced with a professional approach. It started provided employment to the public and
so, the newspaper agency became profit-oriented.
- Various technological developments took place, it involved in a readership battle, literacy level rises, interest to know what is
happening in the surrounding made grow newspaper.
- In India by 1970s newspapers acquired the status of an industry. In fact the Indian newspaper industry is one of the largest in the world. It
has a long and rich heritage. All through these years, the Indian newspaper industry has evolved into a powerful force. It informs, entertains
and also educates the readers so that they can fully participate in the affairs of the state.
- Now, after Independence, Indian newspapers started playing the role of a ‘watchdog’ and also have been playing the role of catalytic agent
to hasten the process of social and economic development in the country.
- However, Indian newspapers are characterised by their overt emphasis on politics and crime. But now, Indian newspapers have a lot of
entertainment content in their columns, with colour pages and new designs.
 NEWPAPER AGENCIES :-
With the help of number of agencies information is fed to the newspapers. The press Information Bureau give information to the
Press on the government policies, programmes and activities. It also receives feedback from the people. Do you know that India
has four major news agencies namely Press Trust of India united News of India. Samachar Bharti and Hindustan Samachar AT
PRESENT.

NEWS AGENCIES IN COLONIAL INDIA:-

1) Indian News and Features Alliance (INFA)
2) Cartographic News Service (CNS)
3) Data News Features (DNF)
4) Indian Press Agency (IPA)
5) National News Service (NNS)
6) News Features of India (NFI)

Several foreign news agencies also have offices in India During colonial period which
include:-
1) Agence France Press (AFP)
2) Associated Press (AP)
3) United Press International (UPI)
4) Tass News Agency-Telegrafonia Agenstvo Sovietskavo Soiuze (TASS)
5) Reuter
 METHADOLOGY:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
Research is an objective, impartial, empirical and logical analysis and recording of controlled observations. It is a systematic
attempt to obtain answers to meaningful questions about phenomena or events through the application of scientific procedures.
Thus, for the logical analysis of the problem, an appropriate methodology and procedure is required. The method adopted to
conduct research for the present study was survey method of research. The data was collected from the library professionals as well
as users of twelve newspaper libraries with the help of two pre-designed questionnaires- one for the librarians and second for the
users. The researcher personally visited each and every respondent from different newspaper libraries under purview of study more
than once, so as to make the questionnaire free from any ambiguity, as well as to collect current and authentic information.

NEWSPAPER LIBRARY:
The role of newspaper library is very important. Earlier the newspaper libraries were called ‘morgue’ and the librarians were called
the ‘morgue 15 clerks’. Morgue was the repository of newspaper clippings, photograph negatives, cuts (metal, engravings of
photos) and hot metal galley and additional material required for the further reference, such as maps, dictionaries and
encyclopedias. Today, the newspaper libraries are called by various names like archives department, information centers, news
libraries and the librarians are called as archivists, information professionals and news librarians. The newspaper library is a
collection of reference material and sometimes of illustrations planned to serve the daily needs of personnel working in the
newspaper industry. It provides a quick reference service on any of diverse topics forming the news of the day. Newspaper libraries
have three fundamental characteristics- emphasis on very recent information, brevity and concision in its presentation and rapidity
of the services.
 HISTORY OF BENGALI NEWSPAPER IN
INDIA :-
• Bengal, especially Calcutta (presently Kolkata) was the cradle of journalism in India. The first newspaper of India
Hickey's Bengal Gazette was published in Kolkata in 1780. So were the first four non-English newspapers- in Bengali, Urdu,
Hindi and Persian. Several language newspapers owe their birth to Kolkata in some form or the other; for example the Oriya
types were manufactured in Serampore, a suburb of Kolkata.

The year 1818 marks the beginning of Bengali journalism. Samachar Darpan was the first newspaper in Bengali language. It
was published by Serampore Mission press on May 23, 1818. Started by missionaries Carey and Marshman, it began as a
monthly, but soon converted into a weekly. It carried both Indian and foreign news. It became bilingual in 1829 carrying
Bengali and English news in parallel columns. After surviving a number of crises, it closed down in 1852.

Digdarshan was also published in 1818. In 1821 a remarkable Bengali journal Sambad Kaumadi was published under the
patronage of Rammohan Roy. But it did not survive for long.

Sambad Pravakar was the first Bengali daily newspaper published in 1839, patronized by Iswar Chandra Gupta. It was
followed by Tattobodhini, published by Akhya Kumar Dutta in 1843.

The other Bengali journals during this time were Samachar Chandrika, Bangadoot, Sambad Pravakar, Vividhartha
Sangrah (1851), Masik Patra (1854), and Som Prakash (1851).

The first weekly within the territory of today's Bangladesh, Rangpur Bartabaha, was published in 1847 from Rangpur and the
first weekly from Dhaka, Dacca News, was published in 1856. The long lasting Dhaka Prakash was first published in 1861
and Dhaka Darpan in 1863.
They early Bengali papers took up the cause of the oppressed workers in the indigo plantation, and of the peasants. Notable among them
were the Som Prakash, the Grambartha Prakashika and the Amrita Bazar Patrika (before it became an English weekly). They created
problems for the government with their exposure of the exploitation of labour in plantations and on the fields, and violent denunciation of
the European planters and the government. In the course of this campaign, a number of newspapers were started in villages and districts.
The press and machinery used to print them were of the crudest type and the publisher and editor conducted the journals almost as family
business. But despite the questionable quality of the 'product', it did achieve one remarkable feat: establish the credential of the newspaper
as a powerful force. Bengali journalism also carried the message of Bengal renaissance. Most of them actively sought social and cultural
reform. However, there were some, who opposed the reforms resulting in a social churning which is the hall mark of any renaissance.

The Bengali press was a terror to the British administration and all the drastic press laws were particularly aimed against them. It had
powerful editors and writers who reached out to the masses in the distant villages with their clarion call to fight against injustice, racial
prejudice and maladministration. They were the earliest to demand self-Government and assail the Moderate leaders of the nationalist
movement with timidity and lack of courage to demand what was the birthright of Indians. The Bengali Press suffered the most in the
reprisals launched by the Government after the mutiny in 1857.

Till the 80s of the nineteenth century Bengal was the hub of newspaper publication. A survey of the Indian Language Press by Sir George
Campbell in 1876 showed that half of the total number of 38 newspapers was published from Kolkata. However, by end 19th century
newspapers have started publishing from all across the country.
End 19th century saw some remarkable newspapers coming out from Bengal. The Sulava Samachar of the Indian Reform Association was
started in 1870 by Keshab Chandra Sen. It was a weekly, priced one pice per copy. It had a circulation of 3,500 copies and was the most
popular weekly of the period. Another journal which was also popular was the Haishakar Patrika edited by Babu Kisari Mohan Ganguli.
The first newspaper to espouse the cause of the working class, Bharat Sharmajibi, was started as a weekly at about this time. The first
Bengali daily to adopt modern methods of production was the Basumati (1880) which was edited by Krishna Kamal Bhattacharya.
Surendranath Banerejee published Bengalee. The editor of Bengalee faced contempt of court proceedings and imprisonment when it
voiced public indignation in 1883 against a High Court Judge who ordered Hindu idols to be produced in court as evidence. The paper
which became a daily in 1900 was the first language paper to subscribe to Reuter's foreign news service. Through the Bande Mataram,
another important newspaper of this period Aurobindo Ghose proclaimed his philosophy and the "new Path" which meant passive
resistance as an instrument of political action. An associate of the Bengalee was the Nayak (1908), published by Panch Cowrie Bannerjee.
In 1922 came the Ananda Bazar Patrika, started by Mrinal Kanti Ghosh, Prafulla Kumar Sarkar and Suresh Chandra Majumdar. Together
with its English counterpart, Hindustan Standard, it played a glorious role in the freedom movement. Another daily Jugantar, was started
in 1937 by the management of the Amrita Bazar Patrika. After Gandhi took over the leadership of the national movement,
the Bangalee and Nayak which were the organs of the Moderates, lost ground rapidly in spite of official support because of the tremendous
pressure exerted by C. R. Das who was the undisputed Congress leader in Bengal.
• Bengali papers suffered after the partition in 1947 because they lost a good slice of their readers in the new East Pakistan, which
in 1971 became a new independent country: Bangladesh. Notable newspapers started in the first two decades after the
independence included Loksevak (1948) and Jansevak owned by the Congress leader, Atulay Ghosh.

Among the doyen of Bengali journalism, mention must be made of Chapala Kanta Bhattacharya, who was the editor of
the Ananda Bazar Patrika and was president of the All-India Newspaper Editors Conference and Hemandra Prasad Ghosh, who
started the Basumati in 1914. Hemendra Prasad Ghosh was a member of the Editors' delegation which visited the war front in
1918. He had the distinction of being a pioneer in establishing an exclusive news services for his paper. Vivekananada Mukherjee
was one of the greatest newspaper editors of Bengal. Under him Jugantar scaled great heights.

The Bengali press today is the third largest numerical group after Hindi and English. There were 1662 newspapers in 1984 as
against 1583 in 1983. Of them 52 are dailies and 433 weeklies. By 2007-8 the total number of number grew to 3244 as per RNI,
of which 125 were dailies.
 IMPORTANT NEWSPAPER DURING
COLONIAL INDIA:-
• BENGAL GAZETTE:
Hickey Bengal Gazette was an English newspaper published from Calcutta, India. It was the first newspaper of the sub-continent
and started in 1780. It was a Weekly Political and Commercial Paper, Open to all Parties, but influenced by none. It was founded
by James Augustus Hickey. It also known as “Calcutta General Advertiser & Bengal Gazette”. It published in English language.
The newspaper soon became very famous not only people but among the British soldiers posted in India at that time. It was an
inspiration for the Indians to launch newspaper of their own. James hickey was deadly opposed to East India Company and started
gazette to take revenge from East India Company. Hickey Bengal Gazette was full of advertisements. The paper ceased publication
on March 23, 1782. It was published just for two years.

AnandabazarPatrika
AnandabazarPatrika (Bengali: [anondobadʒar potrika]) is an Indian bengali language newspaper. A Bengali newspaper was
published in 1876 in a small village of Magura at Jessore District in British India (now Bangladesh) by Tusharkanti Ghose and his
father Sisir Kumar Ghose. They named it Ananda Bazar after Tusharkanti's grandmother's sister Anandomayee. However, soon the
newspaper died. In 1886, Ghose published another newspaper, named after his grandmother Amritamoyee: Amrita Bazar
Patrika.[2]Later in 1922 the newspaper Anandabazar Patrika was relaunched by proprietor Suresh Chandra Majumdar and editor
Prafulla Kumar Sarkar. It was first printed on 13 March 1922 under their ownership and was against British rule.[3] In 1922 it first
published as a four-page evening daily. The first colour printing was the features section. The internet edition of the newspaper was
launched in 2001, which publishes news among the community. Also provides advertisement in the printed newspaper.
Samachar Darpan:
Samachar Darpan was a Bengali weekly newspaper published by the Baptist Missionary Society and published on 23 May 1818
from the Baptist Mission Press at Serampore in the first half of the 19th century. It is considered to be the first Indian-language
newspaper, although some historians contend that the Bengali weekly Bengal Gazetti or Vangal Gazette published by Ganga
Kishore Bhattacharya had begun publication earlier. The newspaper was published every Saturday and was edited by John Clark
Marshman. Its price was 4 annas per copy. It contained news, both Indian and European, collected from various sources, particular
from English newspapers. It also contained brief articles on various subjects. It carried some material of educational value which
made it respected and popular among the educated people. Both in typography and contents the Samachar Darpan maintained a
fairly good standard. Its coverage of local news was certainly better than any other English or Indian language newspaper. By
reprinting news and comments from other Bengali newspapers, the Samachar Darpan enabled its readers to have acquaintance with
the different sections of the Bengali opinion.

Sambad Prabhakar:
Sambad Prabhakar (also Sangbad Prabhakar, Bengali: সংবাদ প্রভাকর) was a Bengali daily newspaper founded
by Ishwar Chandra Gupta. It began as a weekly newspaper in 1831 and became a daily eight years later in 1839. It was the first
Bengali daily newspaper. Sambad Prabhakar covered news on India and abroad and put forward its views on religion, politics,
society, and literature. It was influential in the Bengali Renaissance and in building public sentiment leading to th Sambad
Prabhakar was the brainchild of Ishwar Chandra Gupta. His patron was Jogendra Mohan Thakur of Pathuriaghata. It began as a
weekly newspaper launched on 28 January 1831 (16 Magh 1237BS).[1] As stated, Mr. Thakur was the backbone to this paper and his
death caused the paper to close publication in 1832.In 1836, the newspaper was revived by Ishwar Chandra Gupta and appeared as a
tri-weekly on August 10, 1836. The Thakurs of Pathurighata lent a helping hand to the paper again and in 1837 the Sambad
Prabhakar became the first Bengali language daily on June 14, 1839.[1]
CALCUTTA GAZETTE:-
Calcutta Gazette a newspaper, circulating government advertisements, was first published on 4 March 1784. It was not a government
publication. The Calcutta Gazette owed its origin and initial management to Francis Gladwin, an orientalist and an officer of the EAST
INDIA COMPANY. However, though a private publication, it later became the sole medium for making public advertisements. Although
initially these advertisements were charged for, the proprietor later on undertook to publish these free of charges when the government
agreed to provide the Gazette with necessary paper for publication and also made its circulation by post free of charge. This privilege,
however, was withdrawn in 1787. The government also withdraw its commitment for its postal circulation free. But even then, the
Calcutta Gazette continued to publish public advertisements and government notifications without any charge on government as before.
In January 1787, Francis Gladwin relinquished his proprietorship of the newspaper in favour of three civilians of the company - Arthur
Muir, Herbert H. Harrington and Edmond Morris. The monopoly nature of the paper ensured its extensive circulation and became over
time an advertising paper predominantly.
However, the period of success of the Calcutta Gazette did not continue for long owing to the launching of another competing newspaper,
the Government Gazette, in June 1815, by the Bengal Military Orphan Society. The Government Gazette was made the sole organ for
publishing all public advertisements and notifications. Many private advertisers also left the Calcutta Gazette. This again caused
retrenchment of staff resulting in labour problems culminating in a workers' strike. The financial problems became so acute that in June
1818 the proprietors sold off the newspaper to one Mr. Heatly, owner of the Calcutta Morning Post. Heatly, however, wound off all
publications by a notification appearing on 29 September 1818 in favour of the Calcutta Journal, a new newspaper, launched by one
James Silk Buckingham. [Abhijit Dutta]
 CONCLUSION:-
• THE NEWSPAPER THAT DEVELOPED DURING THE COLONIAL INDIA WERE THE PIONEERS OF NEWPAPER IN
INDIA.THE NEWSPAPERS IN COLONIAL INDIA HELPED IN MASS COMMUNICATION OF INDIANS LIVING IN
DIFFERENT REGIONS OF INDIA,AWARENESS OF SOCIAL EVILS AND RIGHTS OF THE INDIANS AND
MALFUNCTIONING OF THE BRITISH.WHEREAS THE NEWSPAPER IN PRESENT HIGHLIGHT ON THE
GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE PLANS AND POLICIES.PRESS ALSO HELPS TO RAISE VOICE AGAINST
THE SOCIAL WRONGS,CORRUPTION AND MALFUNCTIONING. IT ALSO HELPS US KNOWING WHAT IS
GOING IN THE COUNTRY. IT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN STRENGHTENING THE SOVEREIGNTY AND
INTERGRITY OF A NATION.IT ALSO MAKES US AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FACED BY THE PEOPLE.THE NEED
OF PRINT MEDIA IS TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ITS POWER AND REACH .SO,THEY SHOULD
PROVIDE THE TRUE PITURE OF THE SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.EVENTHOUGH TELEVISION AND THE NEW
MEDIA ,INTERNET EMERGES AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT NEWSPAPER ARE BECOMING IRRELEVANT IN
TERMS OF PROVIDING LATEST NEWS BUT MANY NEWSPAPERS IN INDIA AND IN THE WORLD HAVE
STARTED PROVIDING ANAYSIS OF NEWS AS WELL.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY :
• www.si.wsj.net.com
• www. neilvandokkum.files.wordpress.com
• https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/do-you-know-the-history-of-newspaper-in-india-1496304408-1
• https://www.iilsindia.com/blogs/2017/09/02/history-of-newspaper-in-india/
• www.google.co.in
• www.4.bp.blogspot.com
• www.penrose.whitman.edu
• https://indianexpress.com/article/research/70-years-of-independence-how-world-newspapers-reported-on-indian-
independence-in-1947-4796660/
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/journalism-and-the-periodical-press-in-nineteenthcentury-britain/newspaper-and-
the-periodical-press-in-colonial-india/3B3C4D9E76200924D2FE14CECF4D8B20
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/1461670X.2015.1054159?scroll=top&needAccess=true
• https://www.dawn.com/news/1358484