Semester 2

B.A – I YEAR (SEMESTER II)

2025 – 2028

Course code	203
Course type	DSC
Course Title	History of Mass Media in India
Teaching hours per week	5 hours
Credits	5       credits

 

1.     Instructor-In-charge           : Shivakumar Reddy

Email ID                                            : shivakumar@stmaryscollege.in   

 

About the Instructor

Shivakumar Reddy joined in June 2024 as an Assistant Professor, bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion to the fields of Media Laws and Ethics and Development Communication. With a robust academic background and a keen interest in the evolving dynamics of digital culture and political communication.

Currently pursuing his PhD at Andhra University, Professor Reddy's research is at the cutting edge of contemporary media studies. His focus on digital culture and political communication addresses the critical intersections of technology, society, and governance. This research is not only timely but also crucial in understanding the rapid changes in how information is disseminated and consumed in the digital age

Course Summary

The course History of Mass Media in India provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of mass media in the Indian context, tracing its development from the invention of the printing press to the contemporary digital and immersive media environment. It examines the growth of the press during the colonial and post-independence periods, highlighting the role of journalists, social reformers, and newspapers in the freedom movement, nation-building, and democratic processes. The course also explores the evolution of Indian cinema, including pioneering filmmakers, commercial and parallel cinema, regional and independent films, documentaries, and the rise of OTT platforms. Further, it analyzes the development of electronic media through radio and television, covering institutions like All India Radio and Doordarshan, as well as the impact of privatization, satellite broadcasting, and data-driven content creation. Finally, the course introduces students to new media, addressing the history of the internet, digital journalism, media convergence, cyber laws, ethical challenges, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies such as AR, VR, and the metaverse, thereby equipping students with a strong historical and critical understanding of India’s media landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

History of Mass Media in India

 

 

DSC: 203 SEM II HSTORY OF MASS MEDIA IN INDIA

Objectives:

• To provide a historical overview of press in India.

• To present brief history of electronic media in India.

• To describe the present status of media in India.

 Learning Outcomes: After completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• To have an overall historical understanding of print media in India.

• To know about the pioneers of Indian cinema.

• Understand the development of Radio in India

• To familiarize with Television development in India

• To comprehend the history of New media and its development

Unit-1

1.     Invention of printing press

2.     History of Press in India( Preparatory phase- 1780-1818, phase 1- 1818-1868( early newspapers), Phase II -1868-1919, Phase III-1919-1937, Phase IV-1937-1947)

3.     Pioneers of Indian Journalism during the colonial period

4.      Social Reformers as Journalist

5.     Role of Indian Press in National Freedom Movement

6.     Press Acts during pre-Independence era (Censorship act 1799, Licensing Regulation 1823, Press Act 1835 or Metcalfe, Vernacular Press Act- Gagging Act 1878, Newspapers Incitementto Offences Act 1908, Indian Press Act 1910)

7.     Post-Independence Era- Role of Indian Press in Nation building (Eenadu, TOI, The Hindu, DainkiBhasker, Manoroma, Anand Bazaar Patrika)

8.      Role of Indian Press in Emergency period (1975- 1977)

9.     Prominent Vernacular newspapers in South India

 

Unit-II

1.     Pioneers of Indian Cinema 9Before Independemce- Dada Saheb Phalke , Shantaram,Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Mehaboob Khan, Paidipati Jairaj and Manoj Kumar

2.     Indian Cinema( ( After Independence): Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen, and Rithwik Ghatak

3.     Commercial Cinema in India:Characteristics , Mani Ratnam and S.S. Rajamouli

4.     Parallel Cinema in India: Characteristics, Satyajit Ray, and Bimal Roy

5.      Regional Cinema: Overview of origin, growth and present status of Telugu film industry

6.     Indipendent Film Makers: Characteristics: Chaitanya Tamhane and Payal Kapadia

7.     Over the Top (OTT) Cinema Platforms: Netflix and Amazon Prime

8.     Popular Documentary film makers in india: Characteristics, Anand Patwardhan, Sushmith Ghosh

 

Unit-3

T III - EVOLUTION OF RADIO

1.     Early History of Radio

2.     History of All India Radio (AIR)

3.     Evolution of A.I.R. Programming

4.     Demand for Autonomy

5.     Formation of PrasarBharati

6.     HAM Radio and its uses

7.     FM: Radio Privatization

8.     Community Radio, Satellite and Web Radio

9.     Audio Streaming platforms and Podcasts

 

Unit4

T IV - EVOLUTION OF TELEVISION

1.     Early global history of Television

2.     History of Television in India (SITE, KHEDA)

3.     Development of Television as a Medium of Mass Communication

4.     Doordarshan and its role in broadcasting

5.     Origin and growth of Satellite and Cable Television in India

6.     Development of T.V.Networks and Regional Channels in India

7.      Use of Data Analytics in Television Content Creation: Audience Segmentation, Content Performance Analysis and Predictive Analytics (TRPs, Viewership patterns, Demographics)

 

Unit-5

OIGIN, GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS OF NEW MEDIA 1. 2. 3.

1.     Brief History of the Internet and the World Wide Web

2.     Definition and characteristics of new media

3.     Online Media Platforms as a tool of mass communication and journalism

4.      Issues of misinformation, surveillance, and data privacy; Issues with Artificial Intelligence (Deep fake, voice cloning, image cloning)

5.     Media convergence

6.     Digital Divide

7.     Metaverse in Media and its applications

8.     Introduction to Cyber Laws and Cyber Crime (DDoS attacks, Misuse of Computer Networks, Phishing, Hacking, Cyber stalking, Cyber bullying, Social media frauds, Identity theft)

9.     Provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000 related to media; Intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics code.

10.   Immersive journalism: AR/ VR Technologies and their applications in media and communication.