By Arza Sheik
Bengaluru, May 18: In our current, modern-day society, one that overflows with a vast range of media forms, newspapers provide a variety of information to readers that help in making educated and informed decisions. The various news events that occur at local, regional, national, and international levels, selected on the basis of newsworthiness are what form the core and lifeline of a newspaper. International news bringing events from beyond national boundaries is a good indicator of the emphasis a newspaper places on global issues.
In India, there are various publications that have taken on the role of international news dissemination over the years. And in this article, we are going to be counting down the top four prominent newspapers that India has relied on for global news.
The Hindu
The Hindu came as a weekly publication in September 1978. This newspaper from South India has reached the mark of 1.4 million copies in overall circulation since December 2009. The Hindu is not inclined towards any one section of the society, religion, or political party makes it stand out. It is said that the quality of 'The Washington Post' (online) is The Hindu is equal, which means that the latter maintains international news standards. It is also commonly said that one must read The Hindu to improve their vocabulary. Another significant advantage of this newspaper is that very few ads are present, which means a wide range of local, national, and national news is available. It is one of those newspapers where writers can speak up their minds or oppose/ criticize any act on any government policy.
Indian Express
Founded in 1931, the Indian Express newspaper stands as one of the highest circulated newspapers. Run by the Indian Express Group, the newspaper was known to offer insurance benefits to all those reading it. With its head office in India's capital city, Delhi, the organization is known to circulate multiple newspapers - the Loksatta in Marathi, The Financial Express and The Indian Express in English, and the Jansatta in Hindi. Readers often find their weekly magazine – 'Screen' entertaining as it covers a lot from the world of Bollywood cinema. In India, nearly 5 lac copies are distributed covering all the much-needed information of the daily affairs of the nation and all the important events from around the world. Together with The Economist, The Indian Express now renders articles from the magazine as well.
Hindustan Times
The Hindustan Times started its journey from Delhi and spread its operation in various cities like Kolkata, Ranchi, Patna, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Chandigarh. The newspaper runs under the belt of HT media and circulates one million+ copies on a daily basis. Other publications of this newspaper include the Mint, Nandan, and Kadambani. In the northern part of India, Hindustan Times stands as the best English newspaper. The newspaper is widely read across the nation. Headquartered in Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi, Sukumar Ranganathan is the editor of this newspaper.
New Delhi Times
A relatively younger newspaper, founded by veteran journalist Dr Govind Narain Srivastava in 1996, this publication was started with the thought of providing international news to the residents of the capital. With the internet boom, what was published as an international weekly, got online in 2001 and became a regular source of global news. The newspaper content does not align with any political ideology and remains neutral with its reporting. Led by Ankit Srivastava – who is the current chief editor, the newspaper has a readership of 1.2 million in print and receives 2.5 million plus monthly traffic on their website. Unlike many newspapers and other reputed publications, New Delhi Times has not launched a paid online model so far.
Even in terms of globalization, it becomes even more crucial that international news be given a justified amount of space in newspapers, allowing it to contribute towards international goodwill and peace that helps in the understanding of cross-cultural relations.