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ABSTRACT
Malayalam-language newspapers published in the southern Indian state of Kerala are known for their contribution to the vernacular public sphere. However, while the popularity of commercial Malayalam-language newspapers has steadily increased over the past decades, “community-based” publications such as Deepika have experienced decline. Using the case of Deepika and drawing on the New Literacy Studies scholarship, we examine how print newspapers enter into the daily lives of people and analyze the reading practices associated with this tactile form of media in this part of the world. Our article contributes to Global South journalism studies by illuminating how literacy practices can provide an alternative theoretical framework to better understand the cultural meanings of print news media.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 The newspaper was initially named Nazrani Deepika, which was changed to Deepika in 1939. Nazrani (“Nazarene”) is an alternate name for “Syrian Christians” (discussed in the next section).
2 Literacy here is defined as the ability to read and write one's name.
3 These two newspapers are Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi with an estimated daily circulation of 2.3 and 1.2 million copies.
4 For more on this aspect, see Nair (Citation1997) and Arunima (Citation2006).
5 In this respect, the New Literacy Studies approach, like contemporary anthropological approaches, has a more complex and non-linear relationship with the Enlightenment ideas. Among other things, it questions the relegation of cultural and religious dimensions in critical scholarship. See, for example, Wolff and Cipolloni (Citation2007).
6 Occasionally, the materiality of print newspapers does capture the attention of journalism studies scholars. See, for example, Boczkowski, Mitchelstein, and Suenzo (Citation2020), Fortunati, Taipale, and Farinosi (Citation2015), and Zhou, Kiesow, and Guo (Citation2021).
7 These newspapers are Deshabhimani, Kerala Kaumudi, Madhyamam, Malayala Manorama, and Mathrubhumi.
8 The editors we interviewed did not disclose the extent to which Deepika's circulations had decreased. Recent readership surveys also failed to publish Deepika's circulation figures. Some of our interviewees claimed that Deepika is no longer among the top five Malayalam-language newspapers in Kerala, indicating that the readership is below 0.4 million. See, for example, RDX (Citation2021).
9 The problem of generalizing Western media practices and experiences on to the entire world continues to plague knowledge production, especially in the field of journalism studies. See, for example, Hanitzsch (Citation2019) and Tunstall (Citation1977).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Subin Paul
Subin Paul, an assistant professor at IE University, specializes in the questions of media, culture, and politics. His work has appeared in journals such as the International Journal of Communication, Digital Journalism, and Modern Asian Studies. Subin holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communications from the University of Iowa.
Deepika Rose Alex
Deepika Rose Alex is Adjunct Professor at IE University, Spain. She has published in Women’s Studies, Economic and Political Weekly, and South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. She has completed her Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.