CUTN Journal of Media and Communication is a brand-new scholarly initiative to promote communication research in India. Perhaps, India is the largest democracy—accounting for about one sixth of the world population. It is the second most populous country in the world with over a billion-and-a-quarter people and the seventh largest by area. India is socially and culturally diverse. Traditionally, India had been seen as an agrarian society and predominantly rural. Its sheer size, dense and distinguished population, binding values, cross-cultures and other contradictions differentiate it from the rest of the world.
Traditionally, Indians had been concerned with very different social and political issues than those in more developed nations. India was also seen as a poor country until a while ago. Development, technological advancement and media exposure had brought about a remarkable change over the past few decades in the country, altering the lifestyle and thinking of an average Indian. Today, Indians are getting wealthier and spending more on media. Media options are aplenty with everything from television, mobiles, films, music, publishing, Internet and radio. India’s first newspaper was published in 1780. Since then, newspapers have served the people of the country as a main source of information. As of March 2013, the number of registered publications in India stood at 94,067 (RNI, 2013), the world’s largest. Of them, there were 12,511 newspapers and 81,556 periodicals.