Once termed as the fourth pillar of democracy, press and news media hold considerable influence on not just the workings of most nation-states but also informing the public about the state of affairs. Compared to rest of the world that is slowly phasing out print media, India still has a robust newspaper reading audience that actively depends on newspapers (English and regional languages) for their media diet. Media parallelism has a complicated history in India, starting from the British colonial rule, wherein vernacular media was often targeted by the colonialists to persecute and eliminate native revolutionaries who were writing and informing the local populace about the injustices and oppression by the colonial government. In the fight for independence, the press played a key role, famously helmed by MK Gandhi, and frequently found journalists incarcerated for pointing out gross discrimination and cruelties meted out on opposing the British. The concept of freedom of press was as obsolete in British India as the independence of the state itself. However, English language newspapers such as The Times of India and The Hindu, emerged during this era. The former was originally titled The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, and started out a bi-weekly publication for the British residents in erstwhile Bombay in 1838, which soon transitioned to a daily newspaper in 1851. With respect to political parallelism, conflicts arose constantly with existing pro-British editorial policy forbidding coverage of the native struggle, particularly the 1857 rebellion. However, replacement of editorial management with English editor Robert Knight, changed the newspaper’s standard by reflecting Indian shareholders’ interests and brought it to national prominence by merging with rival newspapers and starting India’s first news agency that partnered with Times and became regional agent for Reuters. In 1861, Knight renamed the newspaper to its present name and despite being a British national, he consistently fought for a free press, without succumbing to the frequent attempts of the colonial government, business interests and cultural spokespersons. Following multiple ownerships including the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., ToI finally found Indian ownership in the reins of the industrial Dalmia family in 1946, with India gaining independence shortly after. One could say, the newspaper fairly held an independent stance, often critical of incumbent governments and repeatedly found itself in legal and corruption troubles, with state government eventually acquiring substantial control over the editorial board. During the period of emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975-77, the Indian press saw some of the darkest days of media crackdown and imprisonment and custodial torture of journalists. However, ToI stance and its infamous obituary entry, “D.E.M. O’Cracy, beloved husband of T.Ruth, father of L.I.Bertie, brother of Faith, Hope and Justice expired on 25 June”, showcased low to no parallelism with the state. This was regarded a watershed incident in the history of Indian press since independence, and even now cited in media and political discourses. Considerable changes were observed in the editorial styles of ToI following the period of liberalisation of economic trades and international relations. The present-day newspaper is managed by The Times Group, owned by the Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited (BCCL) under the private ownership of the Sahu Jain family. Despite being the largest circulating English daily and third largest circulated newspaper in the country, the newspaper has been often criticised for having more advertisements and celebrity-driven entertainment news than matters of national concerns. Concerns of paid news and anti-competitive behaviour also sprung through the 2000s. In the present era, i.e. since 2014, the newspaper has been mostly observed to have a centre-right approach, mostly sides with party in power and is widely famous for its sensationalised focus on entertainment- and celebrity-driven style of news. According to Digital News Report 2024 by Reuters Institute, ToI is the most trusted English media brand in India at 71%.
On the other hand, The Hindu was founded by a group of six nationalists in the erstwhile southern city of Madras in 1878 as a weekly publication to voice out public opinion and stand for Indian’s freedom struggle against the British. Led by noted revolutionary G. Subramania Aiyer, the newspaper was fiercely critical, voiced nationalist views and advocated for a unified India reflecting no parallelism. Owing to popular demand, the newspaper first became triweekly and then an evening daily, before renowned journalist and lawyer Kasturi Ranga Iyengar bought the newspaper in 1905 and provided it with strong financial base. The newspaper held a low media parallelism stance with an overarching left-liberal stance through 80s to early 2000s and was known for its legacy of balanced and investigative reporting. The newspaper is now managed by THG (The Hindu Group) Publishing Private Limited, which is owned by the Kasturi & Sons Limited (KSL) and is also heavily advertisement-driven like its opponent ToI, meaning that while the newspaper may publish editorial pieces criticising the government or its policies, much of the content that still makes it to the newspaper or its corresponding websites may reflect what the ideological or political inclinations that the advertisers have.
In this media parallelism discourse, both newspapers in India have had significant influence on its consumers, irrespective of governments or ownerships. In last one decade, a shift has definitely been observed, with the rise of right-wing driven nationalist media portals and often, one can see supporting commentary in both these newspapers once in a while. This may be conveniently categorised as balanced reporting by these media groups, but a political shift is fairly evident. The closest to being accurate in classifying these newspapers in terms of their political influence and media stake may be low parallelism under private ownership of both publications.
Details Analysis about the two chosen newspapers: The Times of India and The Hindu
The degree of alignment between media outlets and the political or economic interests they represent is the main focus of the newspaper parallelism concept. When examining how media organisations, like The Times of India (ToI) and The Hindu, manage commercial and political pressures while constructing news narratives, parallelism is especially pertinent. This report examines the parallelism within The Times of India and The Hindu, analysing them through a multi-dimensional framework, including macro (press freedom and structure), mezzo (ownership and editorial policy), and micro (journalists’ autonomy and editorial independence) levels.
Macro-Level Analysis: Press Freedom and Structure
At the macro level, the freedom of the press and the structure of the media industry play pivotal roles in shaping editorial content. India’s dynamic media landscape, which has been increasingly shaped by political demands and business interests, includes both ToI and The Hindu. Reporters Without Borders (2023) claims that government policies and media consolidation have continuously undermined press freedom in India, with serious ramifications for political plurality and journalistic autonomy. This situation is nothing new to ToI and The Hindu, which frequently mirror larger systemic limitations.
In terms of media structure, India’s media industry is characterized by concentrated ownership, which can influence editorial independence. ToI, owned by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), has been accused of prioritising commercial interests over journalistic integrity, reflecting the trend of corporatised media in India. In contrast, The Hindu, which is managed by the Kasturi & Sons Ltd., has traditionally maintained a more independent editorial stance. However, both newspapers still face pressure from political and corporate stakeholders, undermining their independence.
Mezzo-Level Analysis: Ownership and Editorial Policy
The editorial policies of ToI and The Hindu are greatly influenced by their ownership structures. Driven by its corporate interests and advertising revenue, ToI has frequently come under fire for its sensationalist and populist approach to news. Because of this, ToI’s editorial policy usually reflects the interests of political and business elites, presenting news in a way that appeals to the widest possible audience. According to the International Journalists’ Network (2024), ToI is especially vulnerable to political influence, particularly under the current administration, which applies covert pressure to media.
On the other hand, The Hindu has a reputation for maintaining editorial integrity, often resisting commercial pressures to some extent. Despite this, recent developments suggest that the newspaper has faced internal challenges regarding editorial independence. The Al Jazeera Media Institute (2023) points out that even The Hindu is not immune to the influence of corporate interests, which have led to compromises in its traditionally neutral stance on various political issues. While The Hindu’s editorial policy is still relatively independent, its ownership structure has prompted questions about the newspaper’s ability to maintain that independence in the face of increasing commercial pressures.
Micro-Level Analysis: Journalists’ Autonomy and Editorial Independence
The degree to which editorial content is impacted by outside factors is determined at the micro level by the independence of journalists and the internal editorial safeguards of ToI and The Hindu. There have been multiple cases of journalists in ToI losing their editorial independence as a result of pressure to align with political and commercial interests. For example, ToI frequently exhibits a bias towards advancing the interests of its owners in its coverage of corporate interests and governmental policies (Benson & Hallin, 2007). The Reporters Without Borders (2023) index highlights that such instances undermine the pluralism of Indian media, where journalistic autonomy is often compromised by external influence.
In contrast, The Hindu has made notable efforts to preserve the autonomy of its editorial staff. Despite facing similar pressures from ownership and advertisers, the newspaper has been more vocal about political interference in its editorial decisions. The Hindu’s editorial stance, especially on issues like political corruption and social justice, suggests a higher degree of internal pluralism (Voltmer, 2013). However, recent concerns regarding political pressure, especially related to coverage of the ruling government, suggest that even The Hindu is not immune to these forces (Roy, 2023).
Contemporary Challenges and the Role of Political Parallelism
To comprehend how media outlets support political ideologies, one must grasp the idea of political parallelism. Since its editorial position more closely resembles the policies and rhetoric of the ruling party, ToI has frequently been accused of having a close relationship with the current administration. According to The New Yorker (2013), ToI’s editorial bias is evident in the way it covers particular political figures, emphasising their accomplishments while downplaying opposition parties’ criticism.
In comparison, The Hindu is generally viewed as more critical of the government, offering coverage that includes a broader spectrum of political viewpoints. Even so, political parallelism still affects it, albeit less so than ToI.
According to Shamsi (2023), political parallelism in The Hindu can be seen in the way it covers political dissent and opposition, often presenting a more balanced view compared to other mainstream newspapers.
The analysis of ToI and The Hindu through the lens of newspaper parallelism reveals that both newspapers are shaped by complex interactions between press freedom, ownership structures, and editorial autonomy. While ToI often exhibits a stronger alignment with political and corporate interests, The Hindu maintains a relatively independent editorial policy, albeit with growing challenges. These dynamics illustrate how the structure of the media industry in India influences journalistic practices and editorial independence, highlighting the importance of protecting press freedom and ensuring that media outlets can operate without undue external influence.
Given the context, with regard to the India-U.S. news coverage inclusive of the U.S. Presidential elections of 2024 news coverage, it could be argued that The Hindu had maintained low parallelism, whereasinHHhHh ToI high parallelism.
References
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