25 Years of Media in the new Millennium

Mrinal Chatterjee

Window Seat

The first quarter of a century of the new millennium have dramatically reshaped mass communication in India. What began as a largely print- and television-driven media ecosystem has evolved into a fast-paced, digital-first environment defined by technology, speed, and audience participation.

The most visible change has been technological. The spread of mobile phones and Internet (both were introduced in India on 15 August 1995)—and social media platforms have transformed how Indians consume information. News is no longer restricted to newspapers or radio and television bulletins; it is now instant, mobile, and interactive. Digital tools, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics increasingly shape news production and distribution, while podcasts, OTT platforms, and social media have become mainstream sources of information.

This technological shift has also altered the nature of content. Traditional, institution-driven journalism has given way to participatory and engagement-oriented media. Research based deep dive journalism is giving way to gonzo journalism, a subjective, first-person style of reporting where the journalist becomes a central character in the story, blending facts with personal experience, opinion, and exaggeration to create an immersive, often satirical narrative, rejecting traditional objectivity for raw, emotional truth-telling. Citizen journalism, influencers, and independent digital creators now share space with legacy media. Content has become more visual, conversational, and regional, with Indian-language platforms witnessing massive growth. At the same time, concerns over misinformation, sensationalism, and declining editorial rigour have emerged as serious challenges.

Presentation styles have undergone an equally significant transformation. From text-heavy newspapers and rigid television formats, media storytelling has moved towards multimedia, data visualization, short videos, and mobile-first content. News today competes in an attention economy where visuals, headlines, and shareability often determine impact.

Media management has also evolved. Traditional family-run media houses have transformed into corporate, data-driven enterprises. Revenue models now rely on digital advertising, subscriptions, branded content, and platform partnerships. Audience metrics increasingly influence editorial decisions, raising important questions about independence and public interest journalism.

In the last quarter of a century, technology has undoubtedly expanded reach and apparently democratized expression. But, it has also intensified ethical, commercial, and credibility challenges. The future of Indian media will depend on how effectively it balances innovation with responsibility—ensuring that speed does not replace truth, and reach does not overshadow relevance.

Tale of three Periodicals

Even as pundits have started writing elegies for the print media, especially periodicals, three of them in different languages, published from different parts of the country have achieved landmarks. Two of them- bilingual quarterly media journal ‘Communication Today, published in Hindi and English from Jaipur Rajasthan; and Raipur based monthly bilingual humour satire magazine ‘CartoonWatch’ completed 30 years in the last December. Samadrusti, a people’s issue based fortnightly for serious discourse published in Odia from Bhubaneswar turned 20.

All three, diverse in content, have certain things in common. All three are run by persons with dedication and commitment. Prof. Sanjeev Bhanawat publishes Communication Today, Triambak Sharma publishes Cartoon Watch, Sudhir Pattanaik and Bighneswar Sahu publish Samadrusti.

There is one more thing common for all three: me. I write in all three, for years.

Congress@140, CPI@100

Last week of December marks the formation of two of the prominent political parties of India. On 28 December in 1885 The Indian National was formed in Bombay (Mumbai) at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, by A.O. Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Dinshaw Wacha with 72 delegates attending the first session to advocate for Indian rights and governance reforms. 

On 26 December 2025 Communist Party of India turned 100. It marked the formation of the Party at the Kanpur Conference.

In 1920, a group of seven Indian revolutionaries, including M.N. Roy, Mohammad Ali, M.P.T. Acharya, and Mohammad Shafiq, met in Tashkent and formed the Communist Party of India (CPI) in exile.

CPI was formally established at the Kanpur Communist Conference in December 1925, uniting various communist groups active across British India. The first President was Singaravelu Chettiar.

Cartoons on Climate Change

I am writing a book chapter on Indian Cartoons on Climate Change. Though the term 'climate change' became common in India only in the new millennium, cartoonists like R.K.Laxman, Mario Miranda, Chandi Lahidi, P.V. Krishnan and others drew cartoons flagging environmental degradation as an issue.

Some of Mario Miranda’s cartoons captured the suddenness of environmental degradation and the Goan artist’s inability to process the altered landscape before him. For example, see the cartoon from his cartoon column ‘Funny side up’; it appeared in a 1987 issue of the monthly magazine Goa Today.

At present many cartoonists across the country and across languages are drawing cartoons on climate change. There are dedicated cartoon strips and columns and cartoonists, focusing on this issue. Hundreds of memes are also created on climate change and its effects. People are becoming aware. However, the major challenge remains to take the awareness to the next logical step- action.