Introduction
The role of the news media in providing reportage to people is obvious, but what is usually understood, if not stated, is how the news media also shapes people's understanding of important events, their view of the world, and public discourse related to these events, usually based on news reports and media coverage (Althaus, Cizmar & Gimpel, 2009).
Digital technologies have brought with them the democratization of information by way of allowing individuals to comment on news, as well as occasionally report and disseminate news themselves, traditionally the domain of established news media organizations and professional journalists. They can launch their own YouTube channels and use Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and any other social media network, for that matter, to spread their opinions, thoughts, observations, and ideas. They can create their own websites and host their own work.
Additionally, digital technologies also have presented the news media with several challenges: increased work pressure for reporters because they not only have to report on their stories but must also now promote it on social media and engage with their audiences on these platforms, and declining paid subscribers, leading to low revenue earnings, which further leads to layoffs, media company shutdowns, and covering stories that are popular versus the ones that are important (Dickinson, Matthews & Saltzis, 2013).
The ramifications of this are visible in the rise of independent news sites, which are usually set up by former journalists to cover stories that they claim are not being covered by mainstream media. Some of these independent startups also are started by individuals who want to counter the news coverage put forth by the big newspapers and news channels. These websites perform the public watchdog function not just against political forces but also other news media and hold both entities accountable for their actions.
India is a particularly interesting case study because the country is the world's largest democracy, with an overall population of about 1.34 billion people, second only to China. While booming in economy, the country—after nearly 71 years of independence from the British—continues to struggle with social issues such as poverty, social inequality, and environment. It also has a partly free press (Freedom House, 2018), compared to the independent press enjoyed by Western democracies.
This module explores the rise of independent, digital news media in India that is reflective of the changes taking place in Indian society. Students will learn about the Indian press—brief history and current situation— and the development of young digital news sites that are changing, albeit slowly, the ways in which news—and what kind of news—is presented in India.
