Is There An Indian Media?

Is There An Indian Media?

- Buroshiva Dasgupta

Can India have a media, which is distinctly its own? By definition, media connects people with the country and the country with the rest of the world. Indian media cannot cut itself off from the rest of the world for if it does, it will be failing in its duty of keeping the people fully informed. But while being connected with the world, it can retain its own distinct – and positive – characteristics.

For example, Indian media, like the global media, is fast adopting the online social media, as well as the media that one carries in the mobile phone. In fact, the mobile communication in the country is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. But unlike the Western media, Indian print media, particularly in the vernacular languages, is growing as well. Circulation in Western print media houses have fallen drastically (and some have gone out of business) but not in India. This is distinctly an Indian media characteristic because of its growing first generation literates and learners.