India

Debashis “Deb” Aikat

Indian media have served the world's largest democracy as an inexorable watchdog. The country's free press has helped sustain Indian democratic traditions in sharp contrast to some neighboring nations where military dictators have stifled the press and democratic values. India's media inform, educate, and entertain a population of 1.2 billion, which is roughly one-sixth of the world's people. More than one-third (35.2 percent, 2001 Census) of India's population cannot read or write but are avid audiences of radio, television, multimedia programs, and Internet content. India's burgeoning media landscape encompasses nearly 65,000 newspapers and periodicals in 123 languages and dialects, more than 300 national and regional television channels featuring news and entertainment programs in English and 22 national languages, nearly 300 million mobile phone subscribers and a rising number of active Internet users. India's expanding media have been catapulted by its growing economy, the world's fourth largest after United States, China, ...

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