Local media in global scenario a content analysis of small Hindi newspapers in India

Abstract

The capital-intensive technological advancement coupled with market requirement has often led to monopolistic dominance of big media houses in developing countries like India. Yet, thanks to its multiple languages and diverse culture, indigenous media of small newspapers are still surviving in India which is both a result and cause of a phenomenon called glocalization or desi globalization of media. Local media, mostly represented by local newspapers, is all about local issues, local politics and local people. If news is the window to the world then local news is the window to that part of the world people actually inhabit. The aim of this research was to discuss the presence of local media in the global scenario. In this regard, a content analysis of small Hindi newspapers has been made to understand the current status of local media. Based on quantitative and qualitative research and also under the lenses of various theories of media, this research sought to examine the content of small Hindi newspapers belonging to diverse regions of India, to analyze if such newspapers were providing sufficient voice and more space to the local and developmental news. While doing so this research has also been able to find out the problems of small Hindi Newspapers. The findings of the research revealed that the local newspapers are truly the local content kingand#8223; and they have a strong connection with their communities. Still, the political news is highly visible because of political journalism and development news gets little space. The research also found out the irrelevance of RNIand#8223;s categorization of newspapers as it gives some absurd classification. Nevertheless, small newspapers are facing a significant threat from the Indian conglomerate newspapers. This is a battle between two uneven resource pools in which the less resourceful small newspapers are either struggling for their survival or being pushed outside the game.