In the media landscape of this culturally rich and beautiful Barak Valley of southern Assam, there is much vitality. While it is small, the valley is full of media houses that provide information and entertain the residents. This piece focuses on the leading media bodies that are located in the Barak Valley area.
From long-standing national newspapers to new-age newspapers of the digital era, the valley is endowed with everything. In this media here, they work day and night to update the citizens to what is happening around the state, the country and the world. Others have attained the popularity not only within the state but also outside the state.
The media in Barak Valley are greatly influenced by the culture and heritage of the region and hence, the style and substance of media are greatly dependent on the culture of Barak Valley. It also means that the local news, events and issues affecting the different ethnic communities that live in the valley are covered in a big way. This local feature imparts a unique flavor to the Barak Valley media.
If you are wondering which media houses had the most power and reach in this part of Assam? In the following paragraphs, we will talk about the dominating print and digital media brands when it comes to news and information in the Barak Valley region.
List of top media houses in Barak Valley:
Like we have mentioned before, media houses can be either print or digital. So, first let’s explore the digital media houses, which include online, internet based channels, local news channels and so on:
01. The Readers Time:
The Readers Time is an independent online media outlet which aims to bring quality information and influential ideas to the audience. While being a subsidiary of the IT Company Inteliqo Research and Services, The Readers Time uses technology so that the content can be distributed over a large area.
The main field of activity of The Readers Time is concentrated on the publication of interesting essays and thoughtful analysis.
To achieve its goal of being an online source of substance, The Readers Time selects works from personalities across multiple fields. It aims to meet the intellectual needs of readers regardless of whether this is commentary on socio-political matters from statesmen, philosophical musings from academics, or tips on productivity from business leaders.
Apart from that, it also works on bringing hyper local news and much other informative content for its viewers. Relying on The Readers Time has become the norm for people in Barak Valley district to read their local, national, political, sports and entertainment news. It also has a strong presence in several social media networks such as Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram which also attract a large number of netizens from the region.
02. Ishan Bangla:
As a leading digital media platform in Barak Valley, Ishan Bangla brings local and hyperlocal news to the people of Silchar and its surrounding areas. However, although Ishan Bangla has not yet been printed, it has successfully created a large audience base through its digital formats.
As a digital-first media house in the region, Ishan Bangla seeks to serve the needs of the tech-savvy citizens of Barak Valley. It is about local news and events of Silchar broadly ranging from civic issues, business developments, cultural events, and even down to hyper local updates on the community.
It appears that Ishan Bangla has made a wise decision by not going for print publication, to attempt to expand the reach and maintain lower operating costs. So far, this digital-only model has proved to be productive for it. However, it should further improve its reach by hiring more, and enter untapped niches to remain at the top of the hyper local news providers’ ranking amid fierce competition.
03. Barak Television Network BTN:
BTN Media was established in 2008 by Babulal Thakur Nath; over the past decade, it has become one of the top media houses in South Assam. Based in Silchar, the group spans several mediums including print, television, radio, and the digital media. The founder of BTN Media, Babulal Thakur Nath, has successfully developed the company into a multimedia organization with over two hundred employees.
04. Doordarshan Silchar:
Regional TV channel Doordarshan Silchar was founded in the early 1980s by one of the largest public broadcasters in India, Doordarshan. It caters to the Barak Valley in Assam and airs programs in the Assamese, Bengali, Bodo and Manipuri languages.
The channels are informative and focused on culture and life of the valley which includes regional news, folk arts, dramas, films, cooking shows and for kids programming. It has chalked out the legacy and qualities of Barak Valley and its ethnic population of Assamese, Bengali and Manipuri communities.
Stations remain a site of socio-cultural life for the people of the valley and even with limited means they promote local culture.
Now let us move our focus to the prominent print media houses:
05. Dainik Jugasankha:
Dainik Jugasankha, is a bengali daily newspaper. It was born on 13th December, 1950. Dainik Jugasankha was founded by Barta Bhagirath Baidyanath Nath, who was not only a visionary journalist but also a freedom fighter. Initially it hit the stands as a weekly paper from Silchar. Later in the 21st century, the newspaper extended publishing from Guwahati in 2000, and from Dibrugarh in 2006. Kolkata Edition started from the middle of 2015, and in 2016, Jugasankha started publishing in Siiguri Edition. It is published simultaneously from Kolkata, Guwahati, Silchar, Siliguri and Durgapur. Around 150,000 copies gets circulated. It is also one of the top ten newspapers in Assam. Undoubtedly, it deserves to be one of the top media houses in Barak Valley.
06. Samayik Prasanga:
Samayik Prasanga was established in the year 1978 by Taimur Raja Chowdhury. He was very much interested in journalism, and worked as a president with various newspapers. His vision towards society and news was always sharp and crisp. However, he was always determined to start something of his own. He gradually started Samayik Prasanga at Rongpur Silchar. In the year 1981, Samayik Prasanga introduced their weekly newspaper. Gradually, Samayik Prasanga started gaining popularity in Barak Valley, and thus started publishing the newspaper twice a week. The demands kept on increasing, but Taimur Raja Chowdhury didn’t seemed to be satisfied. Finally in 2003, 11th May the daily newspaper of Samayik Prasanga was launched, and it started to conquer the readers of Barak Valley.
07. Dainik Prantojyoti:
Dainik Prantojyoti newspaper is one of the oldest and the first daily Bengali newspaper of Northeast India. It was first named as ‘Jyoti’, but later it was changed. It started in the year 1961. The owner of Dainik Prantojyoti is Manish Das and Subrata Paul. Dainik Prantojyoti is basically published from Silchar. The newspaper covers news from all sectors and from all regions. The newspaper is pretty well-known in Barak Valley. It is published in Bengali language.
Conclusion:
The culture of Barak Valley is richly reflected in its media landscape. With all things considered, it is a relatively limited area but one still rich in media variety representing a combination of print and online media.
Each of the leading media houses featured here offers its own perspective, reflecting the pulse of local communities while also connecting to the wider world.
All the above mentioned media groups educate and give power to the citizens of Barak Valley. They showcase problems, act as a forum for public debate, and honor the diverse tapestry of cultures. In this case, the media is not a passive mirror of society but an active force that influences and changes the society.
With time, as the media terrain becomes dynamic, the people of the valley will continue to speak out loud. More stories will be shared, new relationships formed, minds sparked. Delivering the bright future is Barak Valley and its committed media.
