Nearly 41 years ago, the “Queen” released their song “Radio Ga Ga”, a year before they rocked the world in their iconic live aids performance. The song is a beautiful ode to a medium, and a technology, which surprisingly at that time was only in its mid 50s, with first commercial radio in the US being established in 1920.
“Radio, what’s new? / Radio / Someone still loves you”, the lyrics goes. Although the song urges the “Radio” to not give up, it feels like an emotional tribute and a goodbye to the medium that made the singers of those days. Of course, the radio still finds its way into our lives on long unplanned rides, and in some homes that refuse to let it slide into oblivion.
While the radio had a short and glorious life, there is another medium, albeit a little less colourful, that deserves our attention: the newspaper.
The newspaper has had a rich history. The earliest roots can be traced back to Ancient Rome, where they published events of public consequence, such as military campaigns and politics, on metal or stone sheets; to be published in the public forums. The printing revolution of the 15th century was monumental; the newspaper became a true medium of the masses.
In India, the newspaper served its due role in our struggle for freedom. While many publications tackled the evils of the British Rule in India, such as Kesari (1881) by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, New India (1914) by Annie Besant, and Al-Hilal (1912) by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, some took up the much more daunting task of uprooting the evils that existed within the Indian society itself. Noteworthy among these were Sambad Kaumudi (1819) by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Bahishkrit Bharat (1927) by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and Harijan (1932) by M.K. Gandhi. The newspaper became a weapon to fight the gravest of injustices that existed in the society, from Sati to untouchability, and gave a voice to the depressed classes of the society. It is, therefore, not surprising that the British used to ban the publication at the first sight of a national uprising, through the famous section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code. The law that criminalizes “sedition” and prohibits using “words, signs, or other means to bring hatred or contempt towards the government”. A law that survives to this date.
Newspapers were crucial during the early days of independent India, bearing many delightful and equally sobering news on the front-page. One can imagine the newspaper boys at a busy signal, pressing the black and white Indian Express on the windshield on 1st November 1984. “Indira Gandhi Shot Dead”, the page would have read, creating shock and disbelief in the readers.
To the newspaper boy, perhaps it was just another day where the sales were great and he could return to his other business earlier than usual. Selling newspapers isn’t anybody’s full-time job. Still, it is a job that requires extraordinary dedication and grit. Waking up before dawn, procuring and arranging the freshly printed copies, arranging them in cycles’ carriers (traditionally, now scooties are much more popular), and doing rounds of the mohallas. And to throw the newspaper on the fourth floor balcony with a precision that would put even Olympic medalists to shame. Some vendors, often the older ones, prefer to sit at the chaurahas in cities and towns with their neatly arranged stack of newspapers. I imagine it’s more of a way to connect with the community, have those little chats with their frequent customers, than earn the money. Nobody becomes rich by selling newspapers, but one did become the beloved President of a country of over a billion people, Dr. Kalam.
Today, the newspaper faces significant challenges from the online media. According to a 2024 study by Reuters, 74% of Indians prefer to consume their news online, with 49% relying on social media. It’s hard to settle the debate if social media fights the biases in news media, by giving a voice to everything and allowing every viewpoint an opportunity to take the central stage; or whether it exacerbates the problem by creating bubbles where you are only fed news that fuels your already set beliefs. A lot depends also on the decisions taken by the tech giants who have disproportionate power, and little incentive for good, over what we consume. And that too changes with the changing political scenario (the recent changes in Meta’s fact checking policies, a case in point).
Given the wide reach of social media, and its power to spread the news quickly, it has proven to be an indispensable tool in the hands of the authority during natural calamities to relay reliable information to those in need in absence of traditional means of communications. Two things are undeniable about social media: it’s here to stay and it is endless.
The second point deserves our attention, something that is becoming increasingly rare and precious. The rapid pace of technological innovation has granted us access to almost unlimited information. This tremendous change that occurred in just a couple of decades didn’t provide enough time for us to get used to the volume and the new content formats that appear to be changing every year. The fear of missing out and endless anxieties over a subject can prompt us to get hooked and consume an unnaturally high amount of information. Add to that the constant bombardment of ads pushed subtly and unsubtly over our screens, and we have the recipe for “Brain Rot”; Oxford’s word of the year.
It is in this context that the newspaper offers a kind alternative. It ends.
In this respect, the newspaper is similar to the Radio. It allows us to let go of our desire to control our environment, something that the corporations are exploiting really well through their marketing.
It’s an act of trust. The newspaper editor will get to me everything that is worth my attention. Will I miss out on the news? Yes. And the news might now even be “certified fresh” anymore, with it breaking on the social media and TV media a day before, but a good newspaper can’t afford to repeatedly miss out on important news, and that ensures a quality dose of daily news to keep you updated.
In any case, I have been enjoying a chance to go out in the morning to the nearby chauraha to buy my newspaper for 6 rupees, tucked under my arms, bowing in front of the local temple, listening to the birds chirp, looking at people as they start their days.
So what’s the headline today? From little over 200 to nearly 1.5 lakhs newspapers published today, it appears that the newspapers are here to stay, and it will be some time before we sing our goodbyes to it, like Freddy did for the Radio.
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