Introduction to Goa News Media
Goa is a state in Western India with a population of 1.4 million. The state which is known across the world for its beautiful beaches and colonial architecture has a long history of being a Portuguese colony. The Portuguese colonised Goa in 1510 when the then governor of Portuguese India, Afonso de Albuquerque captured the city under the orders from Portugal. Goa remains under Portugal control for almost 450 years until the Republic of India conquered Goa in 1961.
The first newspaper that was officially printed & published in Goa was the Gazeta de Goa in 1822. Gazetta de Goa had rather a short life and it was pulled out of circulation in 1826. While Gazeta de Goa was the first official newspaper, the first private newspaper to be circulated in Goa was the O Ultamar that was launched in 1859.
During the same period, the rest of the regions of present-day India were still under the British Raj. By the 19th and early 20th century, the British Raj witnessed a significant migration happening from Goa to Mumbai. During this period the population of Goans in Mumbai rose significantly and there was a high demand for Portuguese press in the region.
Owing to which many new newspapers were founded between the 1830s and 1860s. Some of the prominent newspapers were O Investigador Portuguez em Bombaim, O Indio Impartial, O Observador, A Abelha de Bombaim. These newspapers were primarily focussed on keeping the Goan immigrants updated on the socio-political news concerning Goa and Portugal.
The beginning of the 20th century saw many new Konkani, Marathi & Portuguese newspapers entering circulation in Goa. Among them, O Heraldo was a prominent Portuguese newspaper catering to the citizens of Goa & their expatriates. O Heraldo was founded in the year 1900 by Aleixo Clemente Messais Gomes in Goa. O Heraldo continued to be published in Portuguese and remained in circulation until 1983 when it was changed to an English daily.
Following the independence of India in 1947, there was a huge pressure on the Indian government to annex Goa into its territory. Which eventually led to the war for the Liberation of Goa in 1961. Following which the erstwhile Portuguese colonies Goa & Daman and Diu were annexed to the territory of India. In the subsequent years, Indian press started becoming active in Goa.
At present Goa is well connected to the other parts of India and most of the national dailies such as The Hindu, Times of India, Economic Times & The Indian Express have circulation in Goa. Apart from these newspapers, Goa also has a wide network of radio stations. For instance, the All India Radio and Vividh Bharati which are the official radio stations of India has broadcasting & transmission stations in Goa. Other than these, Goa also has a strong presence of private radio stations.
Apart from these Goa is also well served by the TV channels from across India. These list of channels also include many prominent national & regional news channels from across the country. The channels are received through cable network & satellite networks across Goa.
In this article, we will have a look at the prominent newspapers and news websites in Goa.
A. Newspapers & News Websites in Goa
In this section, we will have a look at the famous newspapers and news websites in Goa.
Sakal
Sakal is an online newspaper owned by an independent media house based out of Maharashtra, India. The newspaper is published in the Marathi language and has a circulation of around 6 million in Maharashtra & Goa. Sakal covers all facets of national & international news, updates on politics and economy, sports news and regional news concerning Maharashtra and Goa.
Sakal which was earlier circulated in printed format ceased its publication and shifted to e-publications with the advent of online media. The e-paper is made available to the users for free. Apart from the e-paper, Sakal also has an online website which also serves as an online news portal.
The website covers all facets of news that are covered in the e-paper of Sakal. There are dedicated sections on the website for national news, international news, latest news, regional news from Pune, the whole of Maharashtra, and so on. Readers can also access their live TV from their website.
Other than the sections for news & updates, Sakal also has a section covering entertainment news, lifestyle & technology. There is also a dedicated image & video gallery which the users can access for free.
Sakal also has a strong presence in various social media platforms. Readers can choose to follow those pages for regular updates.
O Heraldo Goa
O Heraldo Goa is one of the oldest newspapers in Goa that is still in circulation. The newspaper first published in the year 1900 by Aleixo Clemente Messias Gomes in Portuguese. O Heraldo Goa was published in Portuguese until 1983 beyond which it was converted to an English daily. It is interesting to note that O Heraldo Goa holds the record of being the longest-running Portuguese-language newspaper outside of Portugal and Brazil.
The newspaper covers all facets of news concerning the state of Goa and important national & international news. Apart from the printed edition, O Heraldo Goa also has an online website that serves as an online news portal.
Tarun Bharat
Tarun Bharat is a Marathi daily newspaper based out of Belgaum, India that was founded in 1919. The newspaper has an edition that is printed and circulated in Goa and is a dominant newspaper there. Apart from the newspaper, Tarun Bharat also publishes weekly magazines viz; Khazana, Mukta, Champion and Aksharyatra.
The newspaper covers national news, updates on politics & economy, sports news, and important international news. Apart from the printed edition they also have an online website that serves as an online news portal. The news portal is regularly updated with the important highlights and has sections for national news, regional news, international news, latest news, sports, entertainment and so on. Tarun Bharat also has a strong presence on various social media platforms.
The Navahind Times is an English daily newspaper that is printed and published across Goa. It was founded in the year 1963 and first hit the newsstands the same year on February 18th. As per the latest readership survey, The Navahind times is the most popular English daily in Goa and has the highest circulation when compared to others.
The newspaper covers national news, updates on politics & economy, news and updates on various sporting events, and important international news. Apart from the printed edition, The Navahind times also has an online newspaper that is regularly updated with the latest & important news.
The Navahind Times Android App
Prudent Media
Prudent Media is an online news portal that primarily covers the news and updates concerning Goa. There are dedicated sections on the website for news bulletins, updates on politics, economy, business and so on. Readers can also access their Live TV channel from their website.
Goa Doot
Goa Doot is a Marathi e-paper that is widely circulated in Goa. The newspaper which was first launched in 2005 covers all facets of regional news and important national news.
Goacom
Goacom is an online website that is focused on catering news and updates to people about Goa. Rather than being just another news website, Goacom has sections containing articles on Goan culture, Goan food, Goan tourism and so on.
Goa News
Goa News is an online news portal covering all facets of regional news, important national & international news, updates on sports, economy, and so on.
Gomantak Times
Gomantak Times is an online newspaper in English, covering all facets of news and updates concerning Goa. The website also covers important national & international news, updates on the economy, sports, and so on.
Digital Goa
Digital Goa is an online news website covering all facets of regional news concerning Goa and important national & international news. There are dedicates section for regional news, political news, economic news, updates concerning the tourism sector, and so on.
Conclusion
Goa is the smallest state in India with an estimated population of 1.4 million, the dwindling numbers of circulation is a major concern for most media houses. Over the years the circulation of most newspapers have declined in Goa and most of them were pulled back from circulation. Owing to the rise in demand for digital publications, most of the media houses have shifted to a digital platform.
Though India is a democratic country where freedom of speech & expression are constitutional rights, the press freedom in India has been dwindling since the last decade. As per the World Press Freedom Index, India ranks 142nd out of 186 countries. Most of the media houses in India are forced to do self-censorship of the news that they publish. Dwindling press freedom combined with excessive media bias has, in turn, led to a decrease in circulation of most newspapers.
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- What are the top three newspapers in Goa?
- Did we miss any deserving newspaper or news website?
- What are your views on dwindling press freedom?
- Which is the best newspaper in Goa for business, entertainment and sports news?
- Is there any particular newspaper that caught your attention?
- Which newspaper do you read from the above list?
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