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総説
Future of Print Media in India - A Study
Chinmay Bhattacharya*
* Engineering Assistant (Publication and Printing)
Indian Statistical Institute
203 B. T. Road, Kolkata - 700 108
West Bengal, India
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INTRODUCTION
Print media especially newspaper circulations continue to rise strongly in Asia and the Middle East, offsetting declines in print circulation in Europe, North America and Latin America. Global circulation increased by 1.1 per cent between 2010 and 2011, according to the World Press Trends update. Asia now accounts for a third of global circulation and has seen circulations grow by 16 per cent over five years, while those in Western Europe and North America have declined by 17 per cent during the same period. Newspaper circulation grew
3.5 per cent in Asia year-on-year, and 4.8 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa. It fell 3.4 per cent in Europe, 3.3 per cent in Latin America, and 4.3 per cent in North America. Circulation in Australasia was mostly stable.
India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world and it is the world＇ s largest democracy. Media of India play a vital role in Indian society, and here print media is a bigger part.
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OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY
Throughout the world some people＇ s opinion is there will be no future of print media and once the print media
Abstract
Objective of this paper is trying to search the future of print media in India by considering some statistics, facts and opinions of people. Results showed that the present and past position of print media is bright and future of print media in India is not crucial.
この論文の目的は，インドにおける印刷メディアの将来を，統計データや事実，社会の意見を考察することにより調査 を試みることである．その結果，印刷メディアの現在と過去の地位は輝かしいものであり，インドにおける印刷メディア の将来も深刻な状況ではないことが示された．
will be totally replaced by the electronic media. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, quoted in the Washington Post, in June 2008 “There will be no media consumption left in 10 years that is not delivered over an IP network. There will be no newspapers, no magazines that are delivered in paper form. Everything gets delivered in an electronic form”， this opinion also encourage the people who believe that, “there will be no future of print media and exist only electronic media”．Considering this opinions author has searched the past and current position of print media in India and also tried to understand the future.
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LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study has given more emphasis mainly on newspaper（daily, weekly, quarterly etc.）while other print medias are not considered. For people opinions sample size is very small in comparison with Indian population. People surveyed only from five states and five languages. However the data collected from Registrar of Newspaper for India are exposed some details features.
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METHODOLOGY AND STUDY
There was two parts of this study, one is reports of the Registrar of Newspaper for India with some other findings, and another is people＇ s opinion.
Reports of the Registrar of Newspaper for India
According to the report of the “Registrar of Newspaper for India” some vital features of print media position for the year 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 are shown in
Table 1
.It is fact that in India during the span of last three years number of registered print publication, circulation of newspaper had positive trend. Not only that, it is assumption that the growth of print media, especially newspaper in the year 2012 -2013 will be continued. Considering the last 10 years（2002-03 to 2011-12） circulation figure of Indian newspaper, except 2003-2004 financial years, it has been observed that the circulation trend is increasing. In
Fig.2
, last 10 years circulation of Indian newspapers are given, the data from this Figure shows that the circulation of newspaper in India increased about 163.25% within 10 years. However some Fig.1 India at a glance総 説
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newspaper ceased their publication during this time while some new publication of newspaper was started.
Some other findings
The readership of newspaper in India is also growing and some statistics show that people of India prefer their regional language newspapers and that is why the regional newspapers are venturing out to bring editions from other cities where there is sizeable population of the respective language. Many Indian people prefer English newspaper however their mother languages are not English.
Newspapers are also introducing greater variety in their content. The aim here is to create content to cater to every section of consumers and readers.
In India internet users（about 40% through mobile phone）are also increasing simultaneously but at the same time it appears that proliferation of audio visual media and internet has not significantly affected the circulation of print media.
Fig.2
shows the increasing trend of internet users in India.People
’s Opinion
For getting opinion, 1050 literate people（age group - 18 to 60 years）from five different States of India with five different languages surveyed using a sampling plan. People surveyed divided by 3 categories, which are as
1. People who have no television: - 68 2. People who have Television: - 982
3. People who have television and computer with Internet access: - 156
93.42% of 1050 people said that they read printed newspapers and magazines regular, 3.80% said that they read printed newspapers and magazines occasionally, people read newspaper＇ s Internet edition was 1.90%. Each of 1050 people asked a question, “What is the future of Print Media in India?” and they were asked to choice one answer from the two options which was pre prepared. The two options of the answer was
1. Future of Print Media in India is crucial.
2. Print Media will survive and it will be a good future.
Answer '1' chosen by 64 people and 986 people choose answer '2'.
Details of States, languages, people surveyed with their answers are given in
Table 2
.986 people who believed that “the print media in India will survive and it will be a good future” asked to choice only one cause from the eight possible pre prepared causes responsible for positive growth of Indian print media which were made by 5 experts from media and social sciences fields. The eight possible causes with Number of responses of 986 people are given in
Table 3
. Beside the chosen one answer from the pre prepared answer group, the 986 people express their other views when talking. The people expressed their opinions in different ways but the main concepts of the opinion are Table 1 Some vital features of print media in IndiaFig.3 Internet users of India from 2003 to 2012
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Table 2 Details of States, languages, people surveyed with their answers
summarized and which are as follows;
1） News paper can inform more details than television news.
2） Some people have television but they do not use this device frequently due to their children＇ s education, so they choice print media.
3） Newspaper reading is a habit. The importance of print media has not diminished with the advent of electronic media.
4） Print media is more effective than electronic media for literate the illiterate people.
5） Every morning of Indian educate middle class starting with a cup of tea and newspaper, without newspaper morning is not enjoyable.
6） Children of India read English newspaper to learn English.
7） Every big political party in India has daily newspaper and the supporters of the party are the subscriber of the particular newspaper.
8） Weekly or quarterly or monthly magazine published with some popular features which are not available by television.
9） There are so many articles published in the internet in English language, the print media translate and published those article in regional languages. This practice is very popular in India.
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PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER
STUDIES
This study may be done with big sample size of the people covering the all States and Union territories which would be reflect the most effective scenarios of the future of Indian print media. During this study it was observed that many people wanted to give some other opinions beside their chosen pre prepared cause. So this study would be done by multiple response analysis.
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CONCLUSION
From the above study we can say that present position and recent future of print media in India is not crucial. Not only that there are many newspaper organizations ready to publish another daily newspaper beside their existing newspaper which is encourage the print professionals and print organizations. In India newspapers are paid, that means people have to pay money for purchasing newspaper however the newspapers are very cheap（average 4 to 8 US Cents）． Circulation and readership of print media are increasing. The special attributes of print medias their involvement, credibility, creativity, consistency and flexibility of use will continue to ensure their longevity.
So the print media in India was and will be there. The fact remains that the print media still holds its own position which can never be threatened by the onslaught of new media. “Eco-friendly Innovations will make the future still written on print. Aspirations and growing financial strength, Indian consumption is seeing an unprecedented rise in these places. Therefore, while the rest of the developed world struggles with diminished print media consumption India is poised with at least 15-20 years of healthy growth.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1） Registrar of Newspaper for India, Government of India, www.rni.nic.in
REFERENCES
1） Medium for the Masses: How India＇s Local Newspaper Are Winning Rural Readers, January 14, 2010 in India Knowledge@Wharton.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article. cfm?articleid=4439
2） M. N. Murthy, Sampling Theory and Methods, Statistical Publishing Society, Kolkata, 1967．
