TMR 2022: How can India’s vernacular press tap into digital audiences?

It’s no secret that the telecom boom has greatly changed the regional press in India. Audiences for the vernacular press have increased considerably over the past few years, especially online. Who are these audiences, what do they want from the digital news media, and how can news outlets solidify their relationships with these readers?

That was the topic of discussion at the The Media Rumble session titled “Regional Publishers”. The Media Rumble 2022 took place in Delhi on October 14 and 15.

The discussion panel comprised Balasubramanian S, head of digital media at Dinamalar; Kunal Singla, business head of Amar Ujala Web Services; Maneesh Narayanan, founder of The Cue; and Sanghamitra Mazumdar, editor of ABP Live in English. It was moderated by Durga Raghunath, who heads news and publishing product partnerships for Google in India. 

“People want content that is suited to their needs and which is more personalised,” says Kunal. “If something is happening in Lucknow and one is based out of  Lucknow, they want to see that news first.”

Watch.

Listen to the discussion