Introduction to Telugu News Media
The Telugu media is one of the most prominent regional media industries in India. It caters to 82 million Telugu-speaking population (2011 census), primarily in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
History
The earliest Telugu journals like Satya Doota (1835) were mostly aimed towards religious propaganda. The first Telugu newsweekly was the Andhra Prakashika (1886) founded by A.P. Parathasarathi Naidu in then-Madras. However, the first successful daily newspaper in Telugu was the Andhra Patrika. Founded in 1908, the paper focused on the national independence movement and Gandhian ideals. In 1939, the Express Group launched the Andhra Prabha.
A major turning point came in Telugu media with the formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1953. This helped usher new publications in the Telugu language. Eenadu, founded in 1974, was perhaps the most successful product of the post-AP period.
Prominent Journalists
Befitting to the rich history of Telugu newspapers, there have been many prominent journalists in the field. Perhaps the most famous was K. Nageswara Rao, freedom fighter and founder of Andhra Patrika (1908). National newspaper The Hindu has a deep connection to Telugu media, with two of its founders and many prominent reporters hailing from the region. Other prominent names include Puripanda Appala Swamy (freedom fighter and writer at Andhra Patrika) and K.N.Y. Patanjali (writer and editor of Sakshi).
Circulation & Reach
Today, there are more than 2178 Telugu newspapers in the country, including 405 dailies (2007-08 figures). Two Telugu dailies feature among the top 20 most read newspapers in the country. Eenadu is the most read newspaper in Telugu, followed by Sakshi and Andhra Jyoti. Telugu newspapers make 7 percent of the newspapers in India (2019).
Challenges
While Telugu media has witnessed an increase in readership over the years, numerous issues ail it. Bias is a rampant problem in Telugu journalism. Most major newspapers and media outlets show clear bias or support for one party or the other. Funding is also a critical issue in the current time. Governments in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have either reduced or stopped giving government advertisements in the newspapers, which served a major blow to their revenues. Many Telugu dailies also tend to exploit their journalists and offer them low salaries for extended work hours.
A. Newspapers
The glorious tradition of newspapers that began more than a century ago is still alive in the Telugu newspaper industry. With thousands of newspapers and hundreds of dailies, there is no shortage of Telugu newspapers to accompany one’s morning tea. Here is the list of all prominent Telugu newspapers.
Eenadu
Eenadu is the most widely read Telugu newspaper in the country. It is owned by the Ramoji Group, a Hyderabad-based conglomerate.
History
Eenadu was founded in 1974 in Vishakhapatnam by Ramoji Rao, a media tycoon and entrepreneur from Andhra Pradesh. As its circulation surged, it expanded to Hyderabad too in 1975. Throughout the 1980s, Eenadu continued to grow using the latest technology. In 1989 it introduced the ‘district dailies’ to cater specifically to small Telugu-speaking cities and towns.
Circulation and Reach
Today, Eenadu is the fourth most widely-read language daily in the country (IRS Q1 2019 report). It has an average circulation of 16,14,105 copies (December 2019). Eenadu has a presence across the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It also publishes editions in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. Ramoji Group, which owns Eenadu, also owns the ETV network of TV channels.
Political Bias
Eenadu has a strong bias towards the Telugu Desam Party. Since the 1980s, Eenadu has shown a tendency to support TDP and its leaders, including N. T. Ramarao and Chandrababu Naidu. Likewise, the paper has also displayed a bias against the Indian National Congress.
Sakshi
Despite beginning only a few years ago, Sakshi newspaper has carved a huge audience base for itself. Today, it is one of the largest Telugu newspapers in the region.
History
Sakshi was founded on 24 March 2008. Since its inception, it made headlines for being the first regional newspaper to be designed by internationally-renowned newspaper designer Mario Garcia. Sakshi launched simultaneously with 23 editions – 19 in Andhra Pradesh while the rest in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore. It was also the second newspaper to print all its pages in color.
Circulation and Reach
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Sakshi was the 2nd most-read Telugu newspaper and 17th most-read daily newspaper overall in 2016. Currently, Sakshi has an average circulation of 1,064,661 copies (Jul-Dec 2019, ABC).
Political Bias
Sakshi has an open bias towards the YSR Congress Party since it is owned by Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his wife. The newspaper is known to have been reluctant to criticize YSRCP even when it was in power and target Telugu Desam Party.
Andhra Jyothi
While not as flashy as its rivals, Andhra Jyothi has a loyal readership which has made it one of the largest Telugu newspapers in the country.
History
Andhra Jyothi was acquired by the Aamoda Publications Pvt. Ltd. In the early 2000s and relaunched on 15 October 2002 from six centers. Soon, the newspaper expanded to ten more centers. On 15 October 2009, marking 7 years of the newspaper, a TV news channel called ABN Andhra Jyothi was also launched.
Circulation and Reach
Andhra Jyothi published editions from 23 centers. It has a stronger presence in Andhra Pradesh than in Telangana. It also has a readership in New Delhi, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Andhra Jyothi has a daily circulation of 664,352 copies (Jul-Dec 2019, ABC).
Political Bias
Andhra Jyothi is known to have supported the pro-Andhra narrative before the creation of Telangana. It is also known to be supportive of the Telugu Desam Party, which is one of its major funders.
Namasthe Telangana
In few short years, Namasthe Telangana has struck a chord with the people in Telangana and become one of its biggest newspapers.
History
Namasthe Telangana was founded in June 2011 at the TRS headquarters in Hyderabad. Allam Narayan served as its first Editor-in-Chief. The paper was founded by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party. After the state of Telangana was formed, the newspaper witnessed a fast growth – growing 88 percent between 2014-2017.
Circulation and Reach
Namasthe Telangana publishes from seven centers within the state of Telangana. Within the state, it is the third-largest Telugu newspaper with more than 3 lakh daily copies (2017).
Political Bias
Namasthe Telangana, since owned by the TRS party and its chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao, heavily favors the party. During its early days, the paper also had a strong pro-Telangana bias. It is known to have a center-right bias. An RTI query in 2018 revealed that government spending on the paper increased almost five times between 2016 and 2018.
Namasthe Telangana Android App
Praja Sakthi
Published by the Communist Party (M) in Andhra Pradesh, Praja Sakthi has a long history in the state.
History
Praja Sakthi was first founded in 1941 during the freedom movement. In the subsequent years, it was often shut down or reduced frequency. The current form of Praja Sakthi was born in 1981 in Vijaywada.
Circulation and Reach
Praja Sakthi is primarily based in Andhra Pradesh, publishing 8 editions in the state. It also publishes two editions in Telangana. Praja Sakthi had a circulation of 3,35, 307 copies in 2010, making it one of the biggest Telugu newspapers in the country.
Political Bias
Praja Sakthi has a far-left bias.
Suryaa
With a decent physical circulation and busy website, Suryaa holds its own in the highly competitive world of Telugu news.
History
Suryaa was founded in 2007 in Hyderabad. It was founded by film producer Nukarapu Surya Prakash Rao, who also currently owns it.
News Style
Suryaa primarily focuses on the affairs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also has a dedicated team for writing on the cinema and film industry. The newspaper also publishes national and international news.
Political Bias
Suryaa is said to have a center-left political bias.
Proudly claiming to be the only Telugu newspaper not owned by a business, Nava Telangana is known for its diversity of news.
History
Nava Telangana was founded on 21 March 2015 in Hyderabad. It was founded was by the CPI(M), to serve as the companion of Praja Sakhti in Telangana after the new state was formed in 2014.
Circulation and Reach
Nava Telangana publishes daily editions from six centers in Telangana. It also publishes more than three dozen variants of its e-paper.
Political Bias
Nava Telangana is said to be biased towards the CPI(M) party. It has a strong left-bias.
Mana Telangana
The Telanga-baed Mana Telangana has spread its wings in a few short years.
History
Mana Telangana was founded in 2015 in Hyderabad. It is owned by Anjaiah Polishetty (of Move On Pvt. Ltd.) and K. Sreenivas Reddy, a renowned journalist.
Circulation and Reach
Mana Telangana publishes simultaneously from six districts of Telangana. It primarily caters to the news in Telangana, though it also has sections for Andhra Pradesh, cinema, sports, national and international news. It also publishes over two dozen daily editions of its e-paper.
Vaartha
One of the oldest e-papers and news websites in Telugu, Vaartha still publishes 15 variants of its e-paper.
History
Vaartha was founded on 1 March 1996 in Hyderabad. It was founded by prominent businessman Gireesh Kumar Sanghi, who also currently owns it. During its initial years, Vaartha boasted a prominent readership that rivaled the top Telugu newspapers. However, its readership has declined over the last few years. Vaartha was also one of the early adopters of the digital medium, launching its website in 1997.
Andhra Bhoomi
Andhra Bhoomi is one of the oldest and most popular Telugu newspapers in the country.
History
Andhra Bhoomi was founded in 1960 in Secunderabad as the Telugu variant of the Deccan Chronicle. It used to be owned by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd. And T. Venkattram Reddy. In 2015 Reddy was arrested due to defaulting on his loans. The newspaper and its owner company were then taken over by SREI and the Committee of Creditors.
Circulation and Reach
Andhra Bhoomi publishes editions from multiple centers in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The newspaper had a circulation of 62, 575 copies in 2010, which put it among the ten highest read Telugu newspapers. Outside the Telugu-speaking states, Andhra Bhoomi also has a presence in Karnataka (mainly Bengaluru).
Political Bias
Andhra Bhoomi has been accused of having a bias towards the Indian National Congress party. T. Subbarami Reddy, a prominent Congress politician, is the uncle of Andhra Bhoomi’s former owner Venkattram Reddy.
Visalaandhra
Visalaandhra is one of the oldest Telugu newspapers in the country, though now it has fallen much below its former glory. The newspaper was founded in June 1952 by the Communist Party of India (M). They had renamed the then-version of Prajasakti to Visalaandhra.
The newspaper is known for its editorials and analysis pieces. While its circulation has dropped over the years, it is still considered one of the ten largest Telugu dailies in the country.
Janam Sakshi
Janam Sakshi is a Telugu newspaper that was established in 2002. The newspaper is published from 5 centers in Telangana. It reports on events in Telangana as well as Andhra Pradesh. It also reports on national, international, entertainment, business, and sports news.
Namasthe Andhra
Namasthe Andhra newspaper focuses mainly on the political affairs of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It also reports on entertainment, lifestyle, and national news. It also publishes its e-paper.
B. News Websites
In a world rapidly becoming digital, physical newspapers are no longer the only medium to get news. Today, all the news can fit in your mobile browser. Here is the list of Telugu news portals that operate through websites alone.
Great Andhra Telugu
Great Andhra Telugu is the Telugu variant of Great Andhra, one of the most popular web-only news portals in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
History
Great Andhra was founded in California, USA in 2002. While based in the USA, the website focuses on all the affairs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Over the years, it has witnessed steady growth. The website witnesses more than 85,000 unique visitors every day (Jan 2021).
News Style
Great Andhra Telugu primarily focuses on entertainment news, writing about the film industry, and movie reviews. It also reports on politics in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The website is fast to publish breaking news related to the Telugu states. Great Andhra Telugu also publishes a daily e-paper.
Great Andhra Telugu Android App
Telugu 360
Telugu 360 is a news website that focuses on the affairs of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is originally an English website, along with a Telugu version.
History
Telugu 360 was founded in 2015. It is based in Hyderabad, Telangana. In a few years, it witnessed a sharp rise in its audience. The website witnesses more than 140,000 unique visitors every day (Jan 2021).
News Style
Telugu 360 has a main focus on political news. It is known to fast in reporting political events in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also publishes political analysis of major events. Apart from politics, the website also focuses on entertainment, including film news and movie reviews. Telugu 360 also has a section dedicated to news related to journalism and media.
Gulte
Gulte Telugu is the Telugu version of Gulte.com, one of the most popular news websites in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
History
Gulte was founded in 2009. Its name was coined as the reverse syllable reading of the word “Telugu”. Since then, the website has increased its readership by many folds. It witnesses 65,000 unique visitors every day (Jan 2021). It has also expanded to other social media platforms and has a strong presence.
News Style
Gulte focuses primarily on film news, with a special focus on the Telugu film industry. It reports on celebrity news and movie reviews. It also reports on political events and analysis.
AP7AM
AP7AM, or Andhra Pradesh 7 AM, is a popular Telugu news website. The website was created in 2008. AP7AM aims to offer the latest news in Telugu to its users, which are spread across the globe. The website is bilingual and offers content both in Telugu and English.
News Style
AP7AM primarily publishes political and general news related to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also reports on national international events. The website has other sections like video news and entertainment news which source content from other news channels. AP7AM also publishes entertainment news and movie reviews. It also links to e-papers of major Telugu newspapers like Eenadu and Sakshi.
Tupaki
Tupaki is one of the most popular Telugu news websites in the country. The name of the website ‘Tupaki’ means ‘gun’, alluding to the speed with which it posts the news. The website was founded in 2007.
News Style
Tupaki focuses primarily on the political news of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also publishes national and international news of note. It has a dedicated entertainment section for news related to Tollywood, Bollywood, and Hollywood. The website also publishes editorials and exclusive news reports. While the website is entirely in Telugu, it also has an English variant.
India Herald
Formerly known as AP Herald, India Herald is a major Telugu news website. India Herald was founded in 2011. The website comes under India Herald Group of Publishers Pvt. Ltd. It is owned by Kotii Group of Technological Ventures, a Hyderabad-based investment company.
News Style
India Herald offers a wide variety of news on its website. The website reports on politics, movies, business, and crime. While the primary focus is on regional events of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it also covers national and international news. India Herald also has editorials and a viral news section. The website also has a section for news flash cards.
NTV Telugu
NTV Telugu is the website of NTV Telugu, a popular Telugu 24×7 news channel. It is owned by Rachna Television Pvt. Ltd., a multimedia company founded in 2006. Both the channel and the website were launched in 2007.
News Style
The website reports on political and general events in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also reports on national and international news. The other news sections on the website include movies, sports, business, technology, and lifestyle. Apart from this, the website also streams NTV TV channel live. The website also has a feature to sort news according to legislative assemblies and constituencies of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Telugu One
One of the most popular Telugu-language websites in the world, Telugu One has been connecting the Telugu community across the world. The website was founded in 2000. The website is based in the USA with a corporate office in Hyderabad.
News style
The main website of Telugu One offers a wide variety of content. This includes web radio, e-library movies, comedy, romance, shopping, and devotional sections. The news section, Telugu One News, deals with political and entertainment news. While the main focus is on events related to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it also reports on national and international events.
Kommineni
Kommineni is a Telugu news website owned and managed by Kommineni Srinivasa Rao. Rao is a veteran journalist who has been in journalism since 1978. He has been associated with Today magazine, TV5, and NTV.
Kommineni is primarily concerned with political affairs in the two Telugu-speaking states – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Occasionally, the articles also discuss national-level politics.
TV9 Telugu
TV9 Telugu is the news website of TV9, a 24×7 news TV channel in Telugu. TV9 was launched in 2004 and is owned by Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt. Ltd. (ABCL). ABCL also owns sister channels in other languages. TV9 Telugu covers latest news across all important categories, including local, national, sports, entertainment, business etc.
Telugu Bullet
Telugu Bullet is a news website based in Hyderabad. It has two variants – English and Telugu. Telugu Bullet was founded in 2016. Today, it sees more than a thousand unique visitors every day (April 2020).
News Style
Telugu Bullet primarily reports on the political affairs of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and the whole country. It also has an entertainment section for news about the entertainment industry. Telugu Bullet also reports on trade, technology, and international events.
Samachar Telugu
Samachar is one of the oldest news websites in India. It was founded in 1998. It is owned by Sify technologies, a Chennai-based I&CT company.
Samachar has multiple versions, including Telugu, Hindi, English, Tamil, and Gujarati. Samachar Telugu sources news content from BBC Telugu and One India Telugu.
OK Telugu
OK Telugu is a popular Telugu news website that reports on politics and cinema. Its politics section reports about events in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, as well and national and international news. Its entertainment section reports news related to Tollywood, Bollywood, and Hollywood.
Telugu Post
Telugu Post is a bilingual news website, offering content in both English and Telugu. It is owned by Atlantic Media which is based in New York, USA. Their India office is located in Hyderabad.
News Style
Telugu Post primarily posts on political issues and news, about the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as national news. It also reports entertainment news and gossip stories.
Andhra Watch
Andhra Watch is a Telugu news website founded in 2008. It reports primarily on political events and news from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but also has sections for national and international news. The website also hosts audio/visual content like short films, movie trailers, and mp3 songs.
Telugudaily24.com
Telugu Daily 24 is a Telugu news website that was founded in 2018. It reports on news events of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, national and international news. It also has sections for movies, business, and sports news.
Dear Urban is a Telugu general-news website that was founded in 2017. It reports on entertainment, life, travel, money, food, health, and technology. It covers local as well as national events.
Vastavam TV
Vastavam TV is a Telugu news website founded in 2016. It covers entertainment and political news from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as well as on a national and international level. It also covers news related to the global Telugu community.
Ira News Paper
Ira News Paper is a Telugu news website based in Rajmundhry, Andhra Pradesh. It covers local news from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It also covers national, international, and entertainment news.
Telugu Mirchi
Telugu Mirchi is a popular Telugu news website. The website is bilingual, publishing content both in English and Telugu. The website was founded in 2011.
News Style
Telugu Mirchi primarily reports general news about the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also publishes news about other states and national news. The website also publishes entertainment news and movie reviews.
Telugu Times
Telugu Times is a Telugu news website that reports on events related to the global Telugu community. It was founded in 2008 and is based in USA.
News Style
The website reports political news about Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, India, and the world. It also publishes entertainment and business news. The website also has a section for news about the USA and major US cities.
Asianet News Telugu
Asianet News Telugu is the Telugu edition of the Malayalam news network Asianet. The website covers news about Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also has sections for sports, business, lifestyle, entertainment, national and international news.
Asianet News Telugu Android App
Samayam Telugu is the Telugu branch of Times Internet, the digital news publishing arms of Times of India. The website reports on local, national, and international news. It also covers cinema, sports, lifestyle, and related sections.
One India Telugu
One India Telugu is the Telugu variant of the multi-lingual news platform One India, which was founded in 2006. It publishes local, national, and international news in Telugu.
Web Duniya Telugu
Web Duniya Telugu is the Telugu variant of the multi-lingual content platform Web Duniya. The website publishes trending news from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also publishes a Telugu version of national and international news.
Andhra Headlines publishes news mainly about the entertainment industry on both regional and national levels. The website publishes reports in both English and Telugu. It also reports on regional and national politics.
News18 Telugu
News18 Telugu is the Telugu version of the News18 network. It reports primarily on the events in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It also has a section for cinema, technology, lifestyle, and sports.
Conclusion
Telugu media holds a very prominent position in the Indian media industry. With time, the Telugu media has diversified and adopted the digital medium to expand. However, revenue and proximity to political parties remain burning issues. The Telugu media industry will have to solve them before it can hope to sustain its growth in the transforming media scene.
While the propelling industry knows no bounds, we at MediaBuzz are working hard to provide an encyclopedic coverage of all the news sources. We are a team of professional writers with a knack for the trends in the world of journalism.
We are always looking for suggestions to produce a more concise list.
We are always looking for suggestions to produce a more concise list.
Please help us with your answers for the below questions in the comment section.
• What are the top five Telugu newspapers?
• Did we miss any deserving newspaper or news website?
• What are your views on the political inclinations of different Telugu newspapers?
• What are the best Telugu newspapers for business, entertainment and sports news?
• Is there any particular newspaper that caught your attention?
• Which Telugu newspaper do you read from the above list?
• Do you have any other information related to Telugu newspapers?
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