Vanshika Kothari
I think it was an extremely eye opening and informative activity, not only because we were exposed to various vernacular newspapers as well, but also because it taught me truly what goes into the making of a newspaper and writing of an article. It also highlighted the differences in approaches of different newspapers when it comes to advertisements and how that correlates with the appeal and content of that particular newspaper as well.
For example, I had taken up three newspapers, A, B and C,one of which was a Hindi Newspaper and one was a supplement.
Newspaper A had the most number of ads, 11 to be precise, out of which 9 were commercial and 2 were for government based organisations and initiatives. That I think aligns with and is a testament to how commercialised and sensationalised that newspaper is.
Newspaper B, which was a Hindi newspaper, had 8 advertisements out of which 3 were of government based initiatives. That again is a testament to how vernacular newspapers are useful and important tools for the government to reach the masses and inform them about their policies.
Newspaper C, which was a Sunday Supplement, had 6 advertisements, out of which only 1 was for government based initiatives. That aligns with the “soft” appeal of the supplement and its target audience as well.
So I think overall, the activity brought into focus for me, how different newspapers function with respect to the advertisements they publish and how it correlates with their appeal.
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