Deccan Herald facts for kids
| The Power of Good | |
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2023 cover
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| Type | Daily newspaper |
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| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | The Printers, Mysore |
| Founder(s) | K. N. Guruswamy |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Political alignment | Centre-left |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 75 MG Road Bangalore, Karnataka 560001. |
| Readership | 1,243,000 (IRS 2019) |
| OCLC number | 185061134 |
Deccan Herald is a popular English-language daily newspaper from India. It is published in the Indian state of Karnataka. A businessman named K. N. Guruswamy started it on June 17, 1948. The newspaper is printed by The Printers Mysore, a company owned by the Nettakallappa family. They are the heirs of Guruswamy. Deccan Herald has seven different editions. These are printed in cities like Bengaluru, Hubballi, Mysuru, and Mangaluru.
Contents
The Start of Deccan Herald
How the Newspaper Began
Deccan Herald first came out on June 17, 1948. Its founder, K. N. Guruswamy, was looking for a place to start a newspaper business. He bought a bar and restaurant in March 1948. Even though Guruswamy had no experience with newspapers, he decided to launch two papers. He worked with his friends and supporters. There were no English newspapers in Bangalore at that time. A famous journalist, Pothan Joseph, became its first editor. This helped the paper become strong.
The Founder's Vision
K. N. Guruswamy (1901–1990) came from a business family. His family moved to Bangalore from Ballari. Bangalore was then part of the Kingdom of Mysore. There was no English newspaper there. The Diwan of Mysore, Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar, encouraged Guruswamy to start an English daily. Guruswamy then started the company called The Printers (Mysore) Pvt Ltd. A judge named P. P. Medappa suggested the name Deccan Herald.
Early Days and Growth
Guruswamy provided most of the money to start the newspaper. Deccan Herald was first an eight-page tabloid. It cost one anna, which was a small amount of money back then. Later, it became a larger broadsheet newspaper.
In October 1948, Deccan Herald launched a sister newspaper. This was a Kannada daily called Prajavani. It became very important in Kannada journalism. The group also launched other magazines. These include the lifestyle magazine Sudha (started in 1965) and the literary magazine Mayura (started in 1968).
It took eight years for the company to start making a profit. Guruswamy had to get bank loans and sell many of his buildings. His adopted son, K. A. Nettakallappa, helped the business grow a lot. He was a well-known journalist.
Deccan Herald Today
Who Runs the Newspaper Now
Since the early 1980s, Nettakallappa's sons have led the company. They are K. N. Hari Kumar, K. N. Tilak Kumar, and K. N. Shanth Kumar. The business is still owned and managed by the family. The newspapers aim to be "objective, honest, fair, and truthful." Deccan Herald's motto is "The Power of Good."
A Fresh New Look
In August 2019, Deccan Herald changed its look. This was done to attract younger readers. The newspaper got a new masthead in aqua blue. This color was chosen to appeal to young people. They also added new sections. These include a business section on Mondays and an opinion page called The Prism on Sundays. There is also an entertainment section called Showtime on Saturdays. It focuses on movies and streaming shows. A Travel & Living supplement comes out on Tuesdays.
Achievements and Challenges
Top Newspaper Status
In 2013, Deccan Herald was named one of the top ten English daily newspapers in India. The Indian Readership Survey (IRS) said it was the eighth largest English daily. About 458,000 people read the newspaper regularly. In Bangalore city alone, 338,000 people read it.
Facing Competition
Deccan Herald has also faced some challenges. Plans for an evening English newspaper did not work out. Also, a New Delhi edition was not successful. Since the late 1990s, other English newspapers have started in Bangalore. This has created more competition for Deccan Herald.
The newspaper was one of the first to hire women journalists. They worked in reporting roles in Indian journalism.
How Deccan Herald Works
Printing and Digital Presence
Deccan Herald's Bengaluru edition is printed at a modern facility. It has been printing in color since 1985.
Deccan Herald was one of the first Indian newspapers to launch its own website. This happened on April 15, 1996. As of 2018, its website gets about 14 million page views each month.
People Who Worked at Deccan Herald
- K.N. Guruswamy, (1901–1990), founder and former chairman
- Pothan Joseph, Founding Editor, known for his column Over a Cup of Tea
- Rajan Bala, former sports editor
- Suresh Menon, former reporter
- Ajit Bhattacharjea, former editorial adviser and columnist
- Kuldip Nayar, columnist and director on the board
- M J Akbar, former columnist
- B V Ramamurthy, former cartoonist
