Hindisprachige Tageszeitungen in Nordindiens öffentlichem Raum

Abstract

The Indian print media landscape has undergone considerable changes over the last three decades. Economic and political developments along with technical improvements have facilitated tremendous growth, which Hindi newspaper owners, in particular, have been able to make good use of. With the literacy rate and political awareness increasing in India’s Hindi heartland, Hindi newspapers went to villages and small towns and picked up readers where none had previously existed by using aggressive marketing strategies. While pursuing this local sales approach, they managed to climb to the top of the national readership charts. Newspapers published in Indian languages are widely seen as problematic; the Hindi print media especially has the reputation of being highly supportive of the Hindu nationalist movement. This paper explores the changes that went hand in hand with the Hindi newspaper revolution, its impact on democracy and the public sphere in India’s Hindi-speaking states.