This document is downloaded from DR‑NTU (https://dr.ntu.edu.sg) Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Free market media, democracy and partisanship : a case study of Kolkata’s newspapers’ coverage of anti‑industrialisation protests Mazumdar, Suruchi 2016 Mazumdar, S. (2016). Free market media, democracy and partisanship : a case study of Kolkata’s newspapers’ coverage of anti‑industrialisation protests. Doctoral thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/69003 https://doi.org/10.32657/10356/69003 Nanyang Technological University Downloaded on 27 Sep 2021 06:44:35 SGT FREE MARKET MEDIA, DEMOCRACY AND PARTISANSHIP: A CASE STUDY OF KOLKATA’S NEWSPAPERS’ COVERAGE OF ANTI-INDUSTRIALISATION PROTESTS SURUCHI MAZUMDAR WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION 2016 Free Market Media, Democracy and Partisanship: A Case Study of Kolkata’s Newspapers’ Coverage of Anti-industrialisation Protests Suruchi Mazumdar Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information A thesis submitted to the Nanyang Technological University in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 ABSTRACT The dominant model of the media is that of market-driven media. The dependence on advertising revenues is supposed to ensure financial and therefore political independence. Such market-driven media, however, are inadequate in fulfilling the goal of democracy because they show less interest in reporting the causes of the poor and other disadvantaged groups. An alternative model proposed is that of a partisan media system in a pluralistic market, affording a diversity of political views including those of marginalised groups. Although conceptually different, the partisan and the commercial models of the news media are known to co-exist in many societies. Under such conditions, the news media’s partisan interests, the goal of making profits and the norms of professional journalism, traditionally associated with the commercial model, intersect. This thesis studies how the intersection of the partisan and commercial models of the news media alters the partisan media system’s ability to represent a diversity of views in a pluralistic setting. Pluralistic market conditions are essential for the partisan model to fulfil its democratic potential but tend to be less common in highly concentrated media markets in advanced, industrial settings. Hence the thesis looks at news coverage of anti-industrialisation protests in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, a city that has pluralistic market conditions for the media. Drawing on the theoretical approach of political economy of communication and qualitative thematic analysis of newspaper articles and qualitative interviews with journalists and senior editorial staff, this thesis found that the differences of the partisan system blur in a pluralistic setting even though the goal of profits does not neutralise diversely-owned, commercially-run dailies’ partisan interests. Rather professional journalistic norms such as news values, the need to convey information and the watchdog role defeat their partisan interests and thus blur the differences of the partisan system. “Hybrid” forms of professional journalism in a partisan system thus combine the contradictory goals of advocacy and conveying information and remain central to the partisan model’s ability to represent differences or “external pluralism” when partisan and commercial models co-exist. This thesis proposes the conceptual framework of “hybrid” partisan model to account for the changes of the partisan system when norms of professional journalism intersect with and affect commercially-run entities’ partisan interests. I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Ang Peng Hwa for his guidance and interest in my work. His detailed comments on the multiple drafts helped the presentation of the main arguments of this thesis. I would like to also thank my former supervisor Dr Cherian George. I express my gratitude to the chair of Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Professor Charles Salmon, for his personal concern over my health crisis and his initiative in granting me an extension of the deadline. I deeply acknowledge the continuous support of the staff at the Graduate Studies Office in Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for over four years. I take the opportunity to thank all my interviewees in Kolkata for their exceptional cooperation. Special thanks to Nilanjan Dutta and Biswajit Roy for their personal interest in my research. I extend my gratitude to National Library in Kolkata. Many thanks to Sadhavi for raising valid questions and criticisms, which helped me clarify the key ideas of this thesis. I would also like to thank Sanjukta, Monishankar, Ishita, Namrata, Jaya and Mimpa for their interest and help in different stages of my work. Finally, I extend deepest thanks to my parents. II TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS II TABLE OF CONTENTS III LIST OF TABLES VI LIST OF FIGURES VI LIST OF ACRONYMS VIII CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1 Research Background, Rationale and Objective 1 Introduction Of Research 4 Co-existence Of Partisan And Commercial Models –– Theoretical 4 Significance Partisan And Commercial Models In A Pluralistic Setting 6 Partisan Causes Versus Commercial Interests In Diverse Ownership Models 6 Impact Of Advocacy Journalism 7 Justification Of Case Study 8 Partisanship And Fragmented Market In Kolkata's Newspapers 8 Justification Of A Case Study Of Anti-Industrialisation Protests 11 Media And Anti-Industrialisation Protests ––– Theoretical Significance 12 Research Questions And Theoretical Overview 13 Research Questions 13 Definition Of Key Concepts 14 Theoretical Framework –– Justification Of Political Economy Of 15 Communication 15 Research Plan And Structure 17 Semi-structured, In-depth Interviews And Thematic Analysis 17 A Study Of Newspapers And Movements In The Age Of Internet 20 Chapter Outlines 20 III CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 21 Differences Between Market-Driven And Partisan Models 22 Flaws Of The Free Market Model In Democratic Functioning 23 Significance Of Professional Journalism In Free Market Model 25 Commercialisation Of Journalism –– Intrusion of Business Into News 27 Theoretical Significance Of Partisan Model –– Plurality And Democracy 29 Partisan Media Versus Professional Journalism 31 Limitations Of Professional Journalism In Democratic Process 31 Democratic Potential Of Advocacy Journalism 34 Intersection of Partisan and Commercial Models –– Impact 35 Partisan And Commercial Models, Diversity –– Role of Professional 37 Journalism “Hybrid Forms” Of Professional Journalism In A Partisan System 39 Variations In A Pluralistic Setting 43 Impact Of Diverse Ownership Models 44 Impact of Bottom-line Profit in Corporate Media Conglomerates 44 Less Concern Of Profit In Party Press And Individually-Owned Dailies 46 Impact Of Advocacy Journalism And Professional Values In A Partisan 48 Setting CHAPTER THREE KOLKATA’S PRESS: A BACKGROUND 52 Weak Transition To Commercial Model and Tradition of Partisan Press 43 Rise of the Market Model and Political Divisiveness 54 Weak Transition To Commercial Model And Tradition Of Partisan Press 47 Diversity of Kolkata’s Press –– Fragmented Market, Multiple Players and 56 Diverse Ownership Models Partisan Press Model In Kolkata 62 CHAPTER FOUR METHODOLOGY 65 Significance of Qualitative Research Methods in Theories of Political Economy 65 Data Collection Methods –– Thematic Analysis of Newspaper Articles and 66 Qualitative Interviews Definition And Justification Of Thematic Analysis As A Methodology 66 Method of Thematic Analysis 68 Sample and Method 70 Identifying And Developing Themes 72 Significance of Qualitative Interviews as a Methodology 82 Determining Partisan and Commercial Interests of Selected Dailies 88 CHAPTER FIVE FINDINGS 90 Partisan Interests And Professional Journalistic Norms In A Partisan System 91 IV Themes Of Support And Opposition To Anti-Industrialisation Protests 91 Themes Of Opposition To Anti-Industrialisation Protests In ABP, TOI And GS 105 Shift In The ABP And TOI’s Attitude To Protests From Opposition To Support 116 Change Of Themes –– From Discredited To Legitimate Opposition to 116 Anti-industrialisation Protests in ABP and TOI Change Of Sources 120 Impact Of Professional Norms: Less Differences In Attitude To Protests 122 Lack of Differences in a Partisan System 132 Differences in Partisan and Commercial Interests In Ownership Models 134 Co-existence of Partisan Journalism and Professional Values 146 CHAPTER SIX DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 152 Summary of Findings and Discussion 154 Differences In A Partisan System and Impact Of Professional News Making 154 Conceptualising Hybrid Partisan Model 158 Limited Impact of Profit In Different Ownership Models And Lack Of Diversity 168 Hybrid Professionalism --- Co-existence of Advocacy and Information 171 Theoretical Implications and Contribution 172 Policy Implications 174 Limitations 175 Suggestions for Further Research 175 REFERENCES 180 APPENDIX A 195 APPENDIX B 200 V LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Circulation of Kolkata’s leading newspapers in July-December 10 2013 Table 1.2 Co-existence of Partisan and Commercial Models 19 Table 3.1 Circulation Split of Bengali and English Newspapers 60 Table 3.2 Circulation of Kolkata’s Newspapers in 2006 and 2007 61 Table 3.3 Co-existence of Partisan and Commercial Models 63 Table 4.1. Time frame for study of news coverage 72 Table 4.2 Basic Theme