to have been much more perturbed by the survey showed, were interested in news-
FROM 50 YEARS AGO
economics of the Fourth Estate than by papers, if only they could get them. The obstacles to its freedom. The latter could be Commission was impressed that there was an removed by the repeal or amendment of laws, ‘immediate potential’ for a very large not so the former. How could the existing increase in readership, and this potential was conditions be changed so that our growing much greater in the rural than in the urban democracy could have a lively Press catering areas. What prevented the rural population –Vol VIII, No 35, September 1, 1956
to all sections of the people? The Commission that is such of them as are literate – was found that in fact the Press in India does not primarily the cost of papers and the lack ofPrice-Page Schedule meet these essential needs. The number of distribution facilities. To meet these difficulpapers is wholly inadequate, judged by any ties the Commission did not suggest research
A growing democracy needs a lively press criterion. The daily press catered mainly toin printing techniques in order to bring down to cater to all sections of the people. This is the urban population and that too, to the the cost of printing, though it devoted some a prime condition as much for establishing a population of cities. Many of the towns with attention to the question of news print. It is democratic set-up as for the healthy develop-a population of a lakh or more did not have the country’s dependence on foreign supply ment of the country and for the success of its any daily paper... in this regard that troubled the Commission Government. In what way the press can The first step, therefore, is to increase the more; it was strongly in favour of reducing contribute more adequately than in the past number of papers in the country and make this dependence by developing news print in creating a healthy mental climate in which it possible for papers to be started even in production in Madhya Pradesh and the democratic values will be firmly established small towns, so that a substantial section of solution it suggested for selling higher cost is a problem of great complexity. But the Press the rural population can be made to develop India made news print was State trading and Commission which was appointed to the habit of reading newspapers. How was a pool arrangement, to enable Indian news examine the state of the press and recom-this to be done? Not that the people were print to be sold with imported news print at mend its future lines of development appears apathetic. The literate households, a sample equated prices…
Economic and Political Weekly September 2, 2006
