Dinamalar
| Type | Daily Newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Family owned |
| Founder(s) | T. V. Ramasubba Iyer |
| Founded | 6 September 1951 |
| Language | Tamil |
| Headquarters | Chennai, India |
| Circulation | 9,42,812 |
| Website | dinamalar.com |
Dinamalar is a National Tamil daily newspaper. It was founded in 1951 by T. V. Ramasubba Iyer.[1] Dinamalar has an average circulation of 942,812 (ABC Jan-June 2016)[2]
History
Dinamalar was founded by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer on 6 September 1951 at Thiruvananthapuram. TVR, as he was popularly known, was a rich farmer. He was concerned that the newspapers published from Chennai, then called Madras, did not give adequate coverage to the agitation of Tamils living in the then Travancore Province to merge with the neighbouring Madras State. So he launched Dinamalar and started publishing news and photographs extensively of the agitation. This invited the wrath of the then rulers, who initiated several repressive measures against Iyer and his publication. The frail-looking but brave-heart Iyer did not flinch. His paper's coverage of the agitation was so extensive that publishing houses from Madras had to send their speacial teams down to Thiruvananthapuram. After the Tamil speaking areas including Kanniyakumari were merged with the Madras State, TVR shifted the daily to Tirunelveli in 1957. From then on, there wa no looking back for this People's Daily, a fond nomenculture bestowed by the people in the southern districts in recognition of the paper's relentless fight for their rights. Dinamalar is the only major newspaper which started its journey from the deep south and marched towards the state capital Chennai. All other papers were launched in Chennai and later spread to other cities. [3]
Circulation
The newspaper is printed at and published from 10 cities in South India namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Nagercoil, Pondicherry, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore and Bangalore. As of 2016, the newspaper has a circulation of 942,812.[2]
Content and reception
Dinamalar is well known for its strong editorial standards and unbiased news coverage. Often times the paper could be seen taking an unpopular stand on issues which affect the people and the state or the nation. However, the management has not compromised on the principles laid down by the founder: That the nation is supreme and people are the real masters. In the long run. however, the paper always stood vindicated. Millions of readers have remained loyal to the paper as they realised that there is no hidden agenda for Dinamalar. Besides disseminating quality news to the readers, the paper highlights what in its opinion is good for the people and the country. High class newsprint and top quality printing are hall marks of Dinamalar. In Dinamalar Digital they offer lot more diversified content as well as unique content like 360 degree view of temples, mosques and churches.
Supplements
The following supplements are published by Dinamalar
| Day | Supplements | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Feature/Magazine | Vaniga malar |
| Tuesday | Feature | Bakthi malar |
| Wednesday | Feature | None |
| Thursday | Feature | None |
| Friday | Feature/Magazine | Siruvar Malar (Children's magazine), Metro (Chennai Metro) |
| Saturday | Feature/Magazine | Velai vaippu malar |
| Sunday | Feature/Magazine | Varamalar (Family magazine), Cinema Pakkam, Kannamma (Women empowerment feature) |
| All days | Feature | Astrology, Thozhil (Business page), District Supplement, Tea kadai bench (Political Gossip) |
| Specials | Magazine/Tabloid | Diwali malar, pongal malar, Navrathri special, Varuda malar (Year guide) |
Controversies
In 2018, The Cobrapost released an undercover investigation and video which showed an executive of Dinamalar speaking of promoting Hindutva and the agenda of RSS and BJP.[4] During the investigation the editor mentioned "We have a lot of same wavelength with the BJP family is around."[5][6]The executives explained about promoting the character assassination of opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and Akhilesh by using words like Pappu, bua and babua respectively.[7][8]
On 8 September 2008, Dinamalar's supplementary edition Computer malar carried a cartoon of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad which led to protest from Islamic groups.[9]
On 22 April 2019, Dinamalar was criticised for its headline on the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings. The report titled "O...Sesappa" which meant Oh...Jesus was seen offensive by some. Dinamalar Office asked for police protection following the incident.[10]
On January 2019, Dinamalar posted a body-shaming cartoon of the BJP's Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Soundararajan. The cartoon depicted the BJP leader playing ring toss, makes her look wantonly disheveled.[11]
In October 2009, Dinamalar published an article claiming that several Tamil film actresses were involved in prostitution along with pictures and names. The South Indian Film Artistes' Association petitioned to have the senior sub editor arrested and staged a rally condemning the same. The senior sub editor of the newspaper, Lenin was arrested.[12] He was released on the next day on protests from Chennai Press Club, Madras Union of Journalists, Press Trust of India and The Indian Newspaper Society. Dinamalar stated that the news was obtained from ethical sources and there was no secondary agenda.[13]
In September 2019, A Judicial Magistrate in Krishnagiri sentenced the Editor and the Publisher of Tamil daily Dinamalar to two years’ imprisonment in a defamation case filed by a police inspector. The Judicial Magistrate passed the order on a private complaint lodged by an inspector, who was posted in Krishnagiri in 2005. The complainant said in a column “Tea Kadai Bench”, published in the daily, it was alleged that he received kickbacks from those trading in illicit liquor that was transported from Bengaluru into Tamil Nadu via Hosur. Besides, the report alleged that he had acquired properties through illegal means. Though he had sent a legal notice to the daily seeking damages of ₹10 lakh, the publication did not respond to it. The lawyers representing the editor and the publisher had argued that it was the duty of the media to hold those in positions accountable. However, the magistrate held that the article was not backed with evidence and lent to “gossip mongering”. The court said the write-up, that had not named the complainant in the allegations, however, ended up directly naming him as a conversational tool.[14]
References
- ^ "Dina Malar founder's contributions recalled". The Hindu. 26 March 2009.
- ^ a b "Submission of circulation figures for the audit period July - December 2015" (PDF). Audit Bureau of Circulations. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ^ "About us, Dinamalar". dinamalar.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Newslaundry. "Newslaundry | Sabki Dhulai". Newslaundry. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Cobrapost Exposé: We Got A Direct Call From The PMO To Share Personal Data Of Our Users, Paytm VP Ajay Shekhar Allegedly Says In Video". HuffPost India. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ "Cobrapost Sting: Big Media Houses Say Yes to Hindutva, Black Money, Paid News - The Wire". The Wire. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ ":: Cobrapost ::". web.archive.org. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ Operation-136 II, Dinamalar, retrieved 25 December 2019
- ^ "Tight security in TN after terror alert". Hindustan Times. 25 September 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "மோசமாக தலைப்பிட்டு மொத்துப்படும் தினமலர்: பாதுகாப்பு கேட்டு போலீசாரிடம் தஞ்சம்". web.archive.org. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ January 31, The News Minute; IST, 2019 at 03:49 AM (30 January 2019). "Cartoon Body Shames Tamil Nadu BJP Chief, She Slams the Perversion". The Quint. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Dinamalar editor arrested". hotclix.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Dinamalar press release". dinamalar.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/editor-publisher-awarded-two-years-jail-for-defamation/article29345365.ece.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)