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157-633: Hicky's Bengal Gazette or the Original Calcutta General Advertiser was an English-language weekly newspaper published in Kolkata (then Calcutta), the capital of British India . It was the first newspaper printed in Asia , and was published for two years, between 1780 and 1782, before the East India Company seized the newspaper's types and printing press. Founded by James Augustus Hicky ,
314-646: A United Nations Development Programme report, its wind and cyclone zone is "very high damage risk". The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C (80.2 °F); monthly mean temperatures are 19–30 °C (66–86 °F). Summers (March–June) are hot and humid, with temperatures in the low 30s Celsius; during dry spells, maximum temperatures sometime exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in May and June. Winter lasts for roughly 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 months, with seasonal lows dipping to 9–11 °C (48–52 °F) in December and January. May
471-448: A 50% decline in the number of regional journalists. A 2016 study by King's College, London, found that the towns that lost their local newspapers receded from democratic values and experienced the loss of public faith in the authorities. A new trend in newspaper publishing is the introduction of personalization through on-demand printing technologies or with online news aggregator websites like Google news . Customized newspapers allow
628-518: A Korean monk claimed to have discovered an extant copy of the Jobo . The history of Middle Eastern newspapers goes back to the 19th century. Many editors were not only journalists but also writers, philosophers and politicians. With unofficial journals, these intellectuals encouraged public discourse on politics in the Ottoman and Persian Empires. Literary works of all genres were serialized and published in
785-491: A councillor to the KMC. Each borough has a committee of councillors, each of whom is elected to represent a ward. By means of the borough committees, the corporation undertakes urban planning and maintains roads, government-aided schools, hospitals, and municipal markets. As Kolkata's apex body, the corporation discharges its functions through the mayor-in-council, which comprises a mayor , a deputy mayor, and ten other elected members of
942-685: A daily newspaper from its founding in 1791 until it was acquired by The Guardian in 1993. Usually, it is a specially expanded edition, often several times the thickness and weight of the weekday editions and containing generally special sections not found in the weekday editions, such as Sunday comics and Sunday magazines (such as The New York Times Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine ). In some countries daily newspapers are not published on Christmas Day , but weekly newspapers would change their day e.g. Sunday newspapers are published on Saturday December 24, Christmas Eve when Christmas Day falls on Sunday. Some newspapers are published two times
1099-707: A factory; Sutanuti was a riverside weavers' village; and Gobindapur was a trading post for Indian merchant princes. These villages were part of an estate belonging to the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family of zamindars . The estate was sold to the East India Company in 1698. In 1712, the British completed the construction of Fort William , located on the east bank of the Hooghly River to protect their trading factory. Facing frequent skirmishes with French forces ,
1256-477: A highly eccentric Irishman who had previously spent two years in jail for debt, the newspaper was a strong critic of the administration of Governor General Warren Hastings . The newspaper was important for its provocative journalism and its fight for free expression in India . Hicky began publication of Hicky's Bengal Gazette on 29 January 1780, having first printed a prospectus announcing that he would begin printing
1413-422: A large distribution system to deliver their papers to these different distributors, which typically involves delivery trucks and delivery people. In recent years, newspapers and other media have adapted to the changing technology environment by starting to offer online editions to cater to the needs of the public. In the future, the trend towards more electronic delivery of the news will continue with more emphasis on
1570-684: A large revenue center (because of other ways to buy and sell online) and ad impressions now being dispersed across many media are inputs. Newspapers are typically published daily or weekly . News magazines are also weekly, but they have a magazine format. General-interest newspapers typically publish news articles and feature articles on national and international news as well as local news . The news includes political events and politicians." , business and finance , crime, weather, and natural disasters; health and medicine , science , and computers and technology; sports ; and entertainment , society , food and cooking, clothing and home fashion, and
1727-576: A larger part of the population. In 1830, the first inexpensive " penny press " newspaper came to the market: Lynde M. Walter's Boston Transcript . Penny press papers cost about one sixth the price of other newspapers and appealed to a wider audience, including less educated and lower-income people. In France, Émile de Girardin started La Presse in 1836, introducing cheap, advertising-supported dailies to France. In 1848, August Zang , an Austrian who knew Girardin in Paris, returned to Vienna to introduce
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#17328726449871884-648: A local and international English-speaking public, and for tourists. The advent of the Internet has also allowed non-English-language newspapers to put out a scaled-down English version to give their newspaper a global outreach. Similarly, in many countries with a large foreign-language-speaking population or many tourists, newspapers in languages other than the national language are both published locally and imported. For example, newspapers and magazines from many countries, and locally published newspapers in many languages , are ready to be found on news-stands in central London. In
2041-483: A mixture of subscription revenue, newsstand sales , and advertising revenue. The journalism organizations that publish newspapers are themselves often metonymically called newspapers. Newspapers have traditionally been published in print (usually on cheap, low-grade paper called newsprint ). However, today most newspapers are also published on websites as online newspapers , and some have even abandoned their print versions entirely. Newspapers developed in
2198-420: A mixture of subscription revenue, newsstand sales , and advertising revenue (other businesses or individuals pay to place advertisements in the pages, including display ads , classified ads , and their online equivalents ). Some newspapers are government-run or at least government-funded; their reliance on advertising revenue and profitability is less critical to their survival. The editorial independence of
2355-550: A newspaper is thus always subject to the interests of someone, whether owners, advertisers or a government. Some newspapers with high editorial independence, high journalism quality, and large circulation are viewed as newspapers of record . Many newspapers, besides employing journalists on their own payrolls, also subscribe to news agencies (wire services) (such as the Associated Press , Reuters , or Agence France-Presse ), which employ journalists to find, assemble, and report
2512-624: A newspaper of the modern type in South Asia was by William Bolts , a Dutchman in the employ of the British East India Company in September 1768 in Calcutta. However, before he could begin his newspaper, he was deported back to Europe. In 1780 the first newsprint from this region, Hicky's Bengal Gazette , was published by an Irishman, James Augustus Hicky . He used it as a means to criticize
2669-542: A newspaper. The idea of printing a newspaper in India had been floated twelve years earlier by the Dutch Adventurer William Bolts , but Hicky was the first to execute the concept. Hicky's newspaper was printed once a week on Saturday, and retailed for Rs 1. Its circulation was estimated to be around four hundred copies per week, although possibly more. Hicky initially avoided political controversy. As he observed
2826-527: A police commissioner, is overseen by the West Bengal Ministry of Home Affairs . The Kolkata district elects two representatives to India's lower house, the Lok Sabha , and 11 representatives to the state legislative assembly. The Kolkata police district registered 15,510 Indian Penal Code cases in 2010, the 8th-highest total in the country. In 2010, the crime rate was 117.3 per 100,000, below
2983-456: A quarter of the population live on less than ₹ 27 (32¢ US) per day. Major manufacturing companies in the city are Alstom , Larsen & Toubro , Fosroc , Videocon . As in many other Indian cities, information technology became a high-growth sector in Kolkata starting in the late 1990s; the city's IT sector grew at 70% per annum—a rate that was twice the national average. The 2000s saw
3140-454: A related name; e.g., The Times and The Sunday Times are distinct newspapers owned by the same company, and an article published in the latter would never be credited to The Times . In some cases a Sunday edition is an expanded version of a newspaper from the same publisher; in other cases, particularly in Britain, it may be a separate enterprise, e.g., The Observer , not affiliated with
3297-498: A rising need for information which was met by concise handwritten news-sheets. In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly notizie scritte , which cost one gazetta , a small coin. These avvisi were handwritten newsletters and used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently to Italian cities (1500–1700)—sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually not considered true newspapers. However, none of these publications fully met
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#17328726449873454-440: A small newspaper's print run might require less than an hour of operation, meaning that if the newspaper had its own press it would sit idle most of the time. If the newspaper offers information online, webmasters and web designers may be employed to upload stories to the newspaper's website. The staff of the circulation department liaise with retailers who sell the newspaper; sell subscriptions; and supervise distribution of
3611-475: A stall for the city dwellers. The city receives 2,107 hours of sunshine per year, with maximum sunlight exposure occurring in April. Kolkata has been hit by several cyclones; these include systems occurring in 1737 and 1864 that killed thousands. More recently, Cyclone Aila in 2009 and Cyclone Amphan in 2020 caused widespread damage to Kolkata by bringing catastrophic winds and torrential rainfall. Pollution
3768-457: A state agency. As of 2012 , the city had 16 fire stations. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited , or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone Idea , Bharti Airtel , Reliance Jio are the leading telephone and cell phone service providers in the city. with Kolkata being the first city in India to have cell phone and 4G connectivity, the GSM and CDMA cellular coverage
3925-435: A steady economic decline in the decades following India's independence due to steep population increases and a rise in militant trade-unionism , which included frequent strikes that were backed by left-wing parties. From the 1960s to the late 1990s, several factories were closed and businesses relocated. The lack of capital and resources added to the depressed state of the city's economy and gave rise to an unwelcome sobriquet:
4082-409: A subject area, called a beat , such as sports, religion, or science. Columnists are journalists who write regular articles recounting their personal opinions and experiences. Printers and press operators physically print the newspaper. Printing is outsourced by many newspapers, partly because of the cost of an offset web press (the most common kind of press used to print newspapers), and also because
4239-406: A surge of investments in the real estate, infrastructure, retail, and hospitality sectors; several large shopping malls and hotels were launched. Companies such as ITC Limited , CESC Limited , Exide Industries , Emami , Eveready Industries India , Lux Industries , Rupa Company , Berger Paints , Birla Corporation , Britannia Industries and Purushottam Publishers are headquartered in
4396-464: A week and are known as semi-weekly publications. As the name suggests, a triweekly publishes three times a week. The Meridian Star is an example of such a publication. Weekly newspapers are published once a week, and tend to be smaller than daily papers. Some publications are published, for example, fortnightly (or biweekly in American parlance). They may have a change from normal weekly day of
4553-429: A weekly paper, which, meeting with extraordinary encouragement, he speedily issued his first work. As a novelty every person read it, and was delighted. Possessing a fund of low wit, his paper abounded with proof of that talent. He had also a happy knack at applying appropriate nicknames and relating satirical anecdotes". Hicky benefited little from the paper, as William Hickey further tells us that he allowed it "to become
4710-501: Is third most populous metropolitan region of India with a metro population of over 15 million (1.5 crore). Kolkata is regarded by many sources as the cultural capital of India and a historically and culturally significant city in the historic region of Bengal . The three villages that predated Calcutta were ruled by the Nawab of Bengal under Mughal suzerainty . After the Nawab granted
4867-607: Is 1.5–9 m (5–30 ft). Much of the city was originally a wetland that was reclaimed over the decades to accommodate a burgeoning population. The remaining undeveloped areas, known as the East Kolkata Wetlands , were designated a "wetland of international importance" by the Ramsar Convention (1975). As with most of the Indo-Gangetic Plain , the soil and water are predominantly alluvial in origin. Kolkata
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5024-532: Is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics , business , sports , art, and science. They often include materials such as opinion columns , weather forecasts , reviews of local services, obituaries , birth notices, crosswords , editorial cartoons , comic strips , and advice columns . Most newspapers are businesses, and they pay their expenses with
5181-447: Is a major concern in Kolkata. As of 2008 , sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide annual concentration were within the national ambient air quality standards of India, but respirable suspended particulate matter levels were high, and on an increasing trend for five consecutive years, causing smog and haze. Severe air pollution in the city has caused a rise in pollution-related respiratory ailments, such as lung cancer. Kolkata, which
5338-533: Is also experiencing marked growth in its manufacturing base. In the 2011 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election , Left Front was succeeded by the Trinamool Congress . Spread roughly meridionally along the east bank of the Hooghly River , Kolkata sits within the lower Ganges Delta of eastern India approximately 75 km (47 mi) west of the international border with Bangladesh; the city's elevation
5495-477: Is available in early editions from before midnight on the night before its cover date , further editions being printed and distributed during the night. The later editions can include breaking news which was first revealed that day, after the morning edition was already printed. Previews of tomorrow's newspapers are often a feature of late night news programs, such as Newsnight in the United Kingdom. In 1650,
5652-441: Is available throughout the country. There is also a small group of newspapers which may be characterized as international newspapers . Some, such as The New York Times International Edition , (formerly The International Herald Tribune) have always had that focus, while others are repackaged national newspapers or "international editions" of national or large metropolitan newspapers. In some cases, articles that might not interest
5809-581: Is east of the town. To promote the recycling of garbage and sewer water, agriculture is encouraged on the dumping grounds. Parts of the city lack proper sewerage, leading to unsanitary methods of waste disposal. In 1856, the Bengal Government appointed George Turnbull to be the Commissioner of Drainage and Sewerage to improve the city's sewerage. Turnbull's main job was to be the Chief Engineer of
5966-686: Is extensive. As of 2010 , Kolkata has 7 percent of the total broadband internet consumers in India; BSNL, VSNL , Tata Indicom , Sify, Hathway , Airtel, and Jio are among the main vendors. The Eastern Command of the Indian Army is based in the city. Being one of India's major city and the largest city in eastern and north-eastern India, Kolkata hosts diplomatic missions of many countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, People's Republic of China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States . The U.S Consulate in Kolkata
6123-712: Is home to institutions of national importance, including the Academy of Fine Arts , the Asiatic Society , the Indian Museum and the National Library of India . The University of Calcutta , first modern university in south Asia and its affiliated colleges produced many leading figures of South Asia. It is the centre of the Indian Bengali film industry, which is known as Tollywood . Among scientific institutions, Kolkata hosts
6280-519: Is located over the "Bengal basin", a pericratonic tertiary basin. Bengal basin comprises three structural units: shelf or platform in the west; central hinge or shelf/slope break; and deep basinal part in the east and southeast. Kolkata is located atop the western part of the hinge zone which is about 25 km (16 mi) wide at a depth of about 45,000 m (148,000 ft) below the surface. The shelf and hinge zones have many faults, among them some are active. Total thickness of sediment below Kolkata
6437-520: Is nearly 7,500 m (24,600 ft) above the crystalline basement ; of these the top 350–450 m (1,150–1,480 ft) is Quaternary , followed by 4,500–5,500 m (14,760–18,040 ft) of Tertiary sediments, 500–700 m (1,640–2,300 ft) trap wash of Cretaceous trap and 600–800 m (1,970–2,620 ft) Permian - Carboniferous Gondwana rocks. The quaternary sediments consist of clay, silt and several grades of sand and gravel. These sediments are sandwiched between two clay beds:
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6594-823: Is only state expressway, which is partially operational and partially under construction. The national expressways are Belghoria (part of AH1 and NH12 ), operational and Kona Expressway (part of NH12 ), at grade road operational but elevated corridor under construction. Some national expressways are planned or in various stages of construction to connect directly with many major metropolises and cities of India. Those are: Varanasi–Kolkata Expressway and Patna Kolkata Expressway. Kolkata has international road connectivity to Dhaka , Bangladesh by Jessore Road ; to Bangkok , Thailand and Myanmar by Kolkata-Thailand-Bangkok Trilateral Highway (an extension of IMT Highway ) and to Nepal and Bhutan by NH12 and proposed Haldia–Raxaul Expressway . Newspaper A newspaper
6751-483: Is supervised by a designated editor. Most newspaper editors copy edit the stories for their part of the newspaper, but they may share their workload with proofreaders and fact checkers . Reporters are journalists who primarily report facts that they have gathered, and those who write longer, less news-oriented articles may be called feature writers. Photographers and graphic artists provide images and illustrations to support articles. Journalists often specialize in
6908-530: Is the US Department of State 's second-oldest Consulate and dates from 19 November 1792. The Diplomatic representation of more than 65 Countries and International Organization is present in Kolkata as Consulate office, honorary Consulate office, Cultural Centre, Deputy High Commission and Economic section and Trade Representation office. Public transport is provided by the Kolkata Suburban Railway ,
7065-569: Is the largest and second busiest suburban railway network in the country by number of stations and track length, and also one of the largest in the world. Kolkata has five long-distance inter-city railway stations, located at Howrah (the largest and busiest railway complex in India, as of 2024 ), Sealdah (2nd busiest in India, as of 2024 ), Kolkata , Shalimar and Santragachi Junction , which connect Kolkata by rail to most cities in West Bengal and to other major cities in India. The city serves as
7222-695: Is the area south of Park Street , which comprises thoroughfares such as Jawahar Lal Nehru Road , Abanindranath Thakur Sarani , Dr. Martin Luther King Sarani, Dr. Upendra Nath Brahmachari Sarani, Shakespeare Sarani and Acharay Jagadish Chandra Basu Road . South Kolkata developed after India gained independence in 1947; it includes upscale neighbourhoods such as Bhowanipore , Alipore , Ballygunge , Kasba , Dhakuria , Santoshpur , Garia , Golf Green , Tollygunge , New Alipore , Behala , Barisha etc. The south suburban areas like Maheshtala , Budge Budge , Rajpur Sonarpur , Baruipur etc. are also within
7379-519: Is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal . It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River , 80 km (50 mi) west of the border with Bangladesh . It is the primary financial and commercial centre of eastern and northeastern India . Kolkata is the seventh most populous city in India with an estimated city proper population of 4.5 million (0.45 crore) while its metropolitan region Kolkata Metropolitan Area
7536-457: Is the hottest month, with daily temperatures ranging from 27–37 °C (81–99 °F); January, the coldest month, has temperatures varying from 12–23 °C (54–73 °F). The highest recorded temperature is 43.9 °C (111.0 °F), and the lowest is 5 °C (41 °F). The winter is mild and very comfortable weather pertains over the city throughout this season. Often, in April–June,
7693-778: Is the oldest High Court in India. It was preceded by the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William which was established in 1774. The Calcutta High Court has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands . Kolkata has lower courts: the Court of Small Causes and the City Civil Court decide civil matters; the Sessions Court rules in criminal cases. The Kolkata Police , headed by
7850-484: Is the oldest underground mass transit system in India. The fully operational blue line spans the north–south length through the middle of the city. In 2020, part of the Second line was inaugurated to cover part of Salt Lake city , Kolkata metro area. This east–west green line connects two satellite cities of Kolkata namely Salt Lake and Howrah. Other operational lines are Purple line and Orange line. Kolkata Suburban Railway
8007-541: Is under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has an area of 206.08 km (80 sq mi). The east–west dimension of the city is comparatively narrow, stretching from the Hooghly River in the west to roughly the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass in the east—a span of 9–10 km (5.6–6.2 mi). The north–south distance is greater, and its axis is used to section
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#17328726449878164-447: Is usually referred to as the editor. Variations on this title such as editor-in-chief, executive editor, and so on are common. For small newspapers, a single editor may be responsible for all content areas. At large newspapers, the most senior editor is in overall charge of the publication, while less senior editors may each focus on one subject area, such as local news or sports. These divisions are called news bureaus or "desks", and each
8321-538: The East India Company a trading licence in 1690, the area was developed by the Company into Fort William . Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah occupied the fort in 1756 but was defeated at the Battle of Plassey in 1757, after his general Mir Jafar mutinied in support of the company, and was later made the Nawab for a brief time. Under company and later crown rule , Calcutta served as the de facto capital of India until 1911. Calcutta
8478-613: The East Indian Railway Company responsible for building the first railway 541 miles (871 km) from Howrah to Varanasi (then Benares ). Electricity is supplied by the privately operated Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation , or CESC, to the city proper; the West Bengal State Electricity Board supplies it in the suburbs. Fire services are handled by the West Bengal Fire Service ,
8635-1035: The Geological Survey of India , the Botanical Survey of India , the Calcutta Mathematical Society , the Indian Science Congress Association , the Zoological Survey of India , the Horticultural Society , the Institution of Engineers , the Anthropological Survey of India and the Indian Public Health Association . The Port of Kolkata is India's oldest operating port. Four Nobel laureates and two Nobel Memorial Prize winners are associated with
8792-638: The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation , is often recognized as the first newspaper. The second newspaper, the German Avisa , was published from 1609 in Wolfenbüttel . Both newspapers distinguished themselves from other printed material by being published on a regular basis. They reported on a variety of current events to a broad public audience. Within a few decades, newspapers could be found in all
8949-527: The India Gazette as punishment for Hicky's refusal to pay a bribe to Droz and Marian Hastings , Warren Hastings' wife. In retaliation for Hicky's accusation, Hastings' Supreme Council forbid Hicky from mailing his newspaper through the post office. On 18 November 1780, the same day that the first India Gazette was published, Hicky modified the name of his newspaper from Hicky's Bengal Gazette; or, Calcutta General Advertiser , to Hicky's Bengal Gazette; or
9106-490: The Industrial Revolution enabled newspapers to become an even more widely circulated means of communication, as new printing technologies made printing less expensive and more efficient. In 1814, The Times (London) acquired a printing press capable of making 1,100 impressions per hour. Soon, this press was adapted to print on both sides of a page at once. This innovation made newspapers cheaper and thus available to
9263-651: The Japanese between 1942 and 1944, during World War II . Millions starved to death during the Bengal famine of 1943 (at the same time of the war) due to a combination of military, administrative, and natural factors. Demands for the creation of a Muslim state led in 1946 to an episode of communal violence that killed over 4,000. The partition of India led to further clashes and a demographic shift—many Muslims left for East Bengal (later East Pakistan , present day Bangladesh ), while hundreds of thousands of Hindus fled into
9420-535: The Kolkata Metro , trams , rickshaws , taxis and buses. The suburban rail network connects the city's distant suburbs. Kolkata Metro is the rapid transit system of Kolkat. According to a 2013 survey conducted by the International Association of Public Transport , in terms of a public transport system, Kolkata ranks top among the six Indian cities surveyed. The Kolkata Metro, in operation since 1984,
9577-489: The Kolkata metropolitan area , which is the city's urban agglomeration. The agency overseeing the latter, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority , is responsible for the statutory planning and development of greater Kolkata. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation was ranked first out of 21 cities for best governance and administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 4.0 on 10 compared to
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#17328726449879734-559: The Left Front , which was dominated by the Communist Party of India (CPM). It was the world's longest-serving democratically elected communist government, during which Kolkata was a key base for Indian communism . The city's economic recovery gathered momentum after the 1990s, when India began to institute pro-market reforms . Since 2000, the information technology (IT) services sector has revitalised Kolkata's stagnant economy. The city
9891-627: The Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph . It is currently published as an English-language weekly from its offices at 1040 Belvédère, suite 218, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. In 1808, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro had its first edition, printed in devices brought from England, publishing news favourable for the government of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves since it was produced by
10048-571: The Victoria Memorial , Howrah Bridge and the Grand Hotel . The city's heritage includes India's only Chinatown and remnants of Jewish , Armenian, Greek and Anglo-Indian communities. The city is closely linked with Bhadralok culture and the Zamindars of Bengal , including Bengali Hindu , Bengali Muslim and tribal aristocrats. The city is often regarded as India's cultural capital. Kolkata
10205-461: The secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing); and 83.69% worked in the tertiary sector (service industries). As of 2003 , the majority of households in slums were engaged in occupations belonging to the informal sector; 36.5% were involved in servicing the urban middle class (as maids, drivers, etc.) and 22.2% were casual labourers . About 34% of the available labour force in Kolkata slums were unemployed. According to one estimate, almost
10362-538: The summer monsoon , sometimes interrupt transportation networks. Kolkata along its metropolitan area is home to the second largest road network in India. As of 2022 , total road network in the city's metropolitan area is 4,018 km (2,497 mi), while the city proper has road network of 1,850 km (1,150 mi). The city has witnessed a steady increase in the number of registered vehicles: from 17 lakhs in 2019 to 21 lakhs in 2022, an 18.52 per cent jump. With 2,448 vehicles per kilometre of road, Kolkata has
10519-458: The "dying city". The city's fortunes improved after the Indian economy was liberalised in the 1990s and changes in economic policy were enacted by the West Bengal state government. Recent estimates of the economy of Kolkata's metropolitan area have ranged from $ 150 to $ 250 billion ( PPP GDP), and have ranked it third-most productive metro area of India. Flexible production has been
10676-505: The 17th century as information sheets for merchants . By the early 19th century, many cities in Europe, as well as North and South America, published newspapers. Some newspapers with high editorial independence, high journalism quality, and large circulation are viewed as newspapers of record . With the popularity of the Internet , many newspapers are now digital, with their news presented online as
10833-499: The 1850s, Calcutta had two areas: White Town, which was primarily British and centred on Chowringhee and Dalhousie Square ; and Black Town, mainly Indian and centred on North Calcutta. The city underwent rapid industrial growth starting in the early 1850s, especially in the textile and jute industries; this encouraged British companies to massively invest in infrastructure projects, which included telegraph connections and Howrah . The coalescence of British and Indian culture resulted in
10990-418: The 1947 partition of India , transforming its landscape and shaping its politics. The city was overtaken by Mumbai (formerly Bombay) as India's largest city. A demographically diverse city, the culture of Kolkata features idiosyncrasies that include distinctively close-knit neighbourhoods ( paras ) and freestyle conversations ( adda ). Kolkata's architecture includes many imperial landmarks, including
11147-453: The 1962 Sino-Indian War , and immigration to foreign countries for better economic opportunities. The Chinese community traditionally worked in the local tanning industry and ran Chinese restaurants. According to the 2011 census, 76.51% of the population is Hindu , 20.60% Muslim , 0.88% Christian and 0.47% Jain . The remainder of the population includes Sikhs , Buddhists , and other religions which accounts for 0.45% of
11304-607: The 2005 National Family Health Survey, around 14% of the households in Kolkata were poor, while 33% lived in slums, indicating a substantial proportion of households in slum areas were better off economically than the bottom quarter of urban households in terms of wealth status. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for founding and working with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata—an organisation "whose primary task
11461-437: The 2011 national census, Kolkata district, which occupies an area of 185 km (71 sq mi), had a population of 4,486,679; its population density was 24,252/km (62,810/sq mi). This represents a decline of 1.88% during the decade 2001–11. The sex ratio is 899 females per 1000 males—lower than the national average. The ratio is depressed by the influx of working males from surrounding rural areas, from
11618-442: The 20th century. The Jewish population of Kolkata was 5,000 during World War II, but declined after Indian independence and the establishment of Israel; as of 2003 , there were 25 Jews in the city. India's sole Chinatown is in eastern Kolkata; once home to 20,000 ethnic Chinese, its population dropped to around 2,000, as of 2009 , as a result of multiple factors including repatriation and denial of Indian citizenship following
11775-626: The Bengali language name of one of three villages that predated the arrival of the British; the other two villages were Sutanuti and Govindapur . There are several explanations for the etymology of this name: Although the city's name has always been pronounced Kolkata or Kôlikata in Bengali, the anglicised form Calcutta was the official name until 2001, when it was changed to Kolkata in order to match Bengali pronunciation. The discovery and archaeological study of Chandraketugarh , 35 km (22 mi) north of Kolkata, provide evidence that
11932-477: The British began to upgrade their fortifications in 1756. The Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah , condemned the militarisation and tax evasion by the company. His warning went unheeded, and the Nawab attacked; his capture of Fort William led to the killings of several East India company officials in the Black Hole of Calcutta . A force of Company soldiers ( sepoys ) and British troops led by Robert Clive recaptured
12089-569: The British rule through journalism. The Jobo , discussed in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty , was published in 1577 by King Seonjo 's ministers. As the King had not given permission to print the news bulletins, Jobo was discontinued, and 30 ministers were sentenced "to a severe punishment". It was printed daily, and covered a range of topics, including weather, constellations, and current affairs. In 2017,
12246-445: The Hooghly River. The Kolkata metropolitan area is spread over 1,886.67 km (728.45 sq mi) and comprises 4 municipal corporations (including Kolkata Municipal Corporation), 37 local municipalities and 24 panchayat samitis , as of 2011 . The urban agglomeration encompassed 72 cities and 527 towns and villages, as of 2006 . Suburban areas in the Kolkata metropolitan area incorporate parts of
12403-537: The Indian military, which is based in Fort William, played a pivotal role in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 and securing the surrender of Pakistan . During the mid-1980s, Mumbai (then called Bombay) overtook Kolkata as India's most populous city. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed Kolkata a "dying city" in light of its socio-political woes. In the period 1977–2011, West Bengal was governed from Kolkata by
12560-481: The Internet, social media and other electronic delivery methods. However, while the method of delivery is changing, the newspaper and the industry still have a niche in the world. As of 2007, virtually all major printed newspapers produced online editions distributed over the Internet, which, depending on the country, may be regulated by journalism organizations such as the Press Complaints Commission in
12717-530: The KMC. The functions of the KMC include water supply, drainage and sewerage, sanitation, solid waste management, street lighting, and building regulation. Kolkata's administrative agencies have areas of jurisdiction that do not coincide. Listed in ascending order by area, they are: Kolkata district ; the Kolkata Police area and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, or "Kolkata city"; and
12874-517: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits, in their own municipal corporations or authorities. Kolkata is the commercial and financial hub of East and Northeast India and home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange . It is a major commercial and military port, and is one of five cities in eastern India (alongside Bhubaneswar , Guwahati , Imphal , and Kushinagar ) to have an international airport. Once India's leading city, Kolkata experienced
13031-567: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation) can be broadly divided into two groups— bustees , in which slum dwellers have some long term tenancy agreement with the landowners; and udbastu colonies , settlements which had been leased to refugees from present-day Bangladesh by the government. The unauthorised slums (devoid of basic services provided by the municipality) are occupied by squatters who started living on encroached lands—mainly along canals, railway lines and roads. According to
13188-542: The Nawabs were abolished, and East India company took complete control of the city and the province. In the early 19th century, the marshes surrounding the city were drained; the government area was laid out along the banks of the Hooghly River. Richard Wellesley , Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William between 1797 and 1805, was largely responsible for the development of the city and its public architecture. Throughout
13345-482: The Original Calcutta General Advertiser to emphasize that his newspaper was founded first. Hicky claimed Hastings' order violated his right to free expression, and accused Hastings of corruption, tyranny, and even erectile dysfunction. Hicky also accused other British leaders in Calcutta of corruption, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William , Elijah Impey of taking bribes, and
13502-630: The UK. But as some publishers find their print-based models increasingly unsustainable, Web-based "newspapers" have also started to appear, such as the Southport Reporter in the UK and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer , which stopped publishing in print after 149 years in March 2009 and became an online-only paper. Since 2005 in the UK more than 200 regional newspapers have closed down resulting in
13659-943: The US state of Florida , so many tourists from the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec visit for long stays during the winter (" snowbirds ") that some newsstands and stores sell French-language newspapers such as Le Droit . General newspapers cover all topics, with different emphasis. While at least mentioning all topics, some might have good coverage of international events of importance; others might concentrate more on national or local entertainment or sports. Specialised newspapers might concentrate more specifically on, for example, financial matters. There are publications covering exclusively sports, or certain sports, horse-racing, theatre, and so on, although they may no longer be called newspapers. For centuries newspapers were printed on paper and supplied physically to readers either by
13816-653: The administration's flaws. The first newspaper in Peru was El Peruano , established in October 1825 and still published today, but with several name changes. During the Tang dynasty in China (618–906), the Kaiyuan Za Bao published the government news; it was block-printed onto paper. It is sometimes considered one of the earliest newspapers to be published. The first recorded attempt to found
13973-878: The aforementioned news, information and opinions, they include weather forecasts; criticism and reviews of the arts (including literature , film , television , theater , fine arts , and architecture ) and of local services such as restaurants; obituaries , birth notices and graduation announcements; entertainment features such as crosswords, horoscopes, editorial cartoons , gag cartoons , and comic strips ; advice columns, food , and other columns; and radio and television listings (program schedules). Newspapers have classified ad sections where people and businesses can buy small advertisements to sell goods or services; as of 2013, an increase in Internet websites for selling goods, such as Craigslist and eBay has led to significantly less classified ad sales for newspapers. Most newspapers are businesses, and they pay their expenses with
14130-470: The arts . Usually, the paper is divided into sections for each of those major groupings (labelled A, B, C, and so on, with pagination prefixes yielding page numbers A1-A20, B1-B20, C1-C20, and so on). Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing editorials written by an editor (or by the paper's editorial board) and expressing an opinion on a public issue, opinion articles called " op-eds " written by guest writers (which are typically in
14287-687: The channel of personal invective, and the most scurrilous abuse of individuals of all ranks, high and low, rich and poor, many were attacked in the most wanton and cruel manner ... His utter ruin was the consequence". Hicky's Bengal Gazette was the first printed newspaper to be published in Asia. The newspaper became famous not only among the British soldiers posted in India at that time but also inspired Indians to write newspapers of their own. Six archives are known to have collections (all incomplete) of Hicky's Bengal Gazette: Kolkata Kolkata , also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001 ),
14444-481: The city into North, Central, South and East Kolkata. North Kolkata is the oldest part of the city. Characterised by 19th-century architecture and narrow alleyways, it includes areas such as Jorasanko , Rajabazar , Maniktala , Ultadanga , Shyambazar , Shobhabazar , Bagbazar , Cossipore , Sinthee etc. The north suburban areas like Dum Dum , Baranagar , Belgharia , Sodepur , Khardaha , New Barrackpore , Madhyamgram , Barrackpore , Barasat etc. are also within
14601-759: The city is struck by heavy rains or dusty squalls that are followed by thunderstorms or hailstorms, bringing cooling relief from the prevailing humidity. These thunderstorms are convective in nature, and are known locally as kal bôishakhi ( কালবৈশাখী ), or "Nor'westers" in English. Rains brought by the Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west summer monsoon lash Kolkata between June and September, supplying it with most of its annual rainfall of about 1,850 mm (73 in). The highest monthly rainfall total occurs in July and August. In these months often incessant rain for days brings life to
14758-517: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). Central Kolkata hosts the central business district. It contains B. B. D. Bagh , formerly known as Dalhousie Square, and the Esplanade on its east; Rajiv Gandhi Sarani is on its west. The West Bengal Secretariat , General Post Office , Reserve Bank of India , Calcutta High Court , Lalbazar Police Headquarters and several other government and private offices are located there. Another business hub
14915-519: The city of Kolkata (as a metropolitan structure). The Maidan is a large open field in the heart of the city that has been called the "lungs of Kolkata" and accommodates sporting events and public meetings. The Victoria Memorial and Kolkata Race Course are located at the southern end of the Maidan. Among the other parks are Central Park in Bidhannagar and Millennium Park on Rajiv Gandhi Sarani, along
15072-647: The city such as the Coal India , National Insurance Company , Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers , Tea Board of India , Geological Survey of India , Zoological Survey of India , Botanical Survey of India , Jute Corporation of India , National Test House, Hindustan Copper and the Ordnance Factories Board of the Indian Ministry of Defence . The demonym for residents of Kolkata are Calcuttan and Kolkatan . According to provisional results of
15229-458: The city the following year. Per the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad following the battle of Buxar , East India company was appointed imperial tax collector of the Mughal emperor in the province of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, while Mughal-appointed Nawabs continued to rule the province. Declared a presidency city , Calcutta became the headquarters of the East India Company by 1773. In 1793, ruling power of
15386-522: The city. During the 1960s and 1970s, severe power shortages, strikes and a violent Marxist – Maoist movement by groups known as the Naxalites damaged much of the city's infrastructure, resulting in economic stagnation. During East Pakistan's secessionist war of independence in 1971, the city was home to the government-in-exile of Bangladesh . During the war, refugees poured into West Bengal and strained Kolkata's infrastructure. The Eastern Command of
15543-449: The city. Philips India, PwC India , Tata Global Beverages , and Tata Steel have their registered office and zonal headquarters in Kolkata. Kolkata hosts the headquarters of two major banks: UCO Bank , and Bandhan Bank . Reserve Bank of India , State Bank of India have its eastern zonal office in Kolkata. India Government Mint, Kolkata is one of the four mints in India. Some of the oldest public sector companies are headquartered in
15700-536: The city. Though home to major cricketing venues and franchises, Kolkata stands out in India for being the country's centre of association football. Kolkata is known for its grand celebrations of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja , which is recognized by UNESCO for its importance to world heritage. Kolkata is also known as the 'City of Joy'. The word Kolkata ( Bengali : কলকাতা [kolˈkata] ) derives from Kôlikata (Bengali: কলিকাতা [ˈkɔliˌkata] ),
15857-429: The classical criteria for proper newspapers, as they were typically not intended for the general public and restricted to a certain range of topics. The first mechanical, movable type printing that allowed the mass production of printed books was invented by Johann Gutenberg around 1450. In the 50 years after Gutenberg started printing, an estimated 500,000 books were in circulation, printed on about 1,000 presses across
16014-604: The continent. Gutenberg's invention was a simple device, but it launched a revolution marked by repeated advances in technology and, as a result, a popularization of the ideals of liberty and freedom of information exchange. The emergence of the new media in the 17th century has to be seen in close connection with the spread of the printing press from which the publishing press derives its name. The German-language Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien , printed from 1605 onwards by Johann Carolus in Strasbourg in
16171-485: The effect his paper had, he became more political and his neutral editorial policy shifted to an independent one. His slogan became "Open to all Parties, but influenced by None". After he learned that competitors with ties to the East India Company were intending to launch a rival newspaper, the India Gazette , he took a strongly anti-Company stance. Hicky accused an East India Company employee, Simeon Droz , of supporting
16328-558: The emergence of a new babu class of urbane Indians, whose members were often bureaucrats, professionals, newspaper readers, and Anglophiles; they usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities. In the 19th century, the Bengal Renaissance brought about an increased sociocultural sophistication among city denizens. In 1883, Calcutta was host to the first national conference of the Indian National Association , which
16485-646: The first American daily. In 1752, John Bushell published the Halifax Gazette , which claims to be "Canada's first newspaper". However, its official descendant, the Royal Gazette , is a government publication for legal notices and proclamations rather than a proper newspaper; In 1764, the Quebec Gazette was first printed 21 June 1764 and remains the oldest continuously published newspaper in North America as
16642-467: The first daily newspaper appeared, Einkommende Zeitung , published by Timotheus Ritzsch in Leipzig , Germany. In the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, unlike most other countries, daily newspapers do not publish on Sundays. In the past there were independent Sunday newspapers; nowadays the same publisher often produces a Sunday newspaper, distinct in many ways from the daily, usually with
16799-499: The following districts: North 24 Parganas , South 24 Parganas , Howrah , Hooghly and Nadia . Two planned townships in the greater Kolkata region are Bidhannagar , also known as Salt Lake City and located north-east of the city; and Rajarhat , also called New Town and located east of Bidhannagar. In the 2000s, Sector 5 in Bidhannagar developed into a business hub for information technology and telecommunication companies. Both Bidhannagar and New Town are situated outside
16956-571: The goal. The decline in advertising revenues affected both the print and online media as well as all other mediums; print advertising was once lucrative but has greatly declined, and the prices of online advertising are often lower than those of their print precursors. Besides remodelling advertising, the internet (especially the web ) has also challenged the business models of the print-only era by crowdsourcing both publishing in general (sharing information with others) and, more specifically, journalism (the work of finding, assembling, and reporting
17113-553: The governor allowed The Boston News-Letter to be published and it became the first continuously published newspaper in the colonies. Soon after, weekly papers began being published in New York and Philadelphia. These early newspapers followed the British format and were usually four pages long. They mostly carried news from Britain and content depended on the editor's interests. In 1783, the Pennsylvania Evening Post became
17270-958: The headquarters of three railway zones out of eighteen of the Indian Railways regional divisions namely the Kolkata Metro, Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway . Kolkata has international rail connectivity with Dhaka , the capital of Bangladesh. Kolkata is the only Indian city with a tram network, which was operated by the Calcutta Tramways Company . It has now amalgamated to West Bengal Transport Corporation . There are three operational routes: Tollygunge to Ballygunge , Gariahat to Esplanade , Shyambazar to Esplanade . Trams are environment friendly but due to slow-moving and traffic congestion, tram attracts less passengers. Water-logging, caused by heavy rains during
17427-478: The highest car density in India. This leads major traffic congestion. The city's main bus terminals are located at Esplanade and Howrah . The Kolkata–Delhi and Kolkata– Chennai prongs of the Golden Quadrilateral , and National Highway 12 start from the outskirts of the city. As of 2024 , Kolkata has one state expressway and two national expressways , all in its metropolitan area. Kalyani Expressway
17584-589: The late Han dynasty (second and third centuries AD). Between 713 and 734, the Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") of the Chinese Tang dynasty published government news; it was handwritten on silk and read by government officials. In 1582, there was the first reference to privately published newssheets in Beijing, during the late Ming dynasty . In early modern Europe , the increased cross-border interaction created
17741-442: The late 18th and 19th century, the city was a centre of the East India Company's opium trade. A census in 1837 records the population of the city proper as 229,700, of which the British residents made up only 3,138. The same source says another 177,000 resided in the suburbs and neighbouring villages, making the entire population of greater Calcutta 406,700. In 1864, a typhoon struck the city and killed about 60,000 in Kolkata. By
17898-590: The leader of the Protestant Mission, Johann Zacharias Kiernander of stealing from an orphaned children's fund. Hicky's editorial independence was short lived as Hastings and Kiernander sued him for libel. After four dramatic trials in June 1781, the Supreme Court found Hicky guilty and sentenced him to jail. Hicky continued to print his newspaper from jail, and continued to accuse Hastings and others of corruption. He
18055-426: The local gay community or indie rock enthusiasts within a city or region. A daily newspaper is printed every day, sometimes with the exception of Sundays and occasionally Saturdays (and some major holidays). Saturday and, where they exist, Sunday editions of daily newspapers tend to be larger, include more specialized sections (e.g., on arts, films, entertainment) and advertising inserts, and cost more. Typically,
18212-415: The local distribution or in some cases by mail, for example for British expatriates living in India or Hong Kong who subscribed to British newspapers. Newspapers can be delivered to subscribers homes and/or businesses by a paper's own delivery people, sent via the mail , sold at newsstands , grocery stores , and convenience stores , and delivered to libraries and bookstores . Newspaper organizations need
18369-527: The lower one at a depth of 250–650 m (820–2,130 ft); the upper one 10–40 m (30–130 ft) in thickness. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards , on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes, the city lies inside seismic zone III . Kolkata is subject to a tropical savanna climate that is designated Aw under the Köppen climate classification . According to
18526-526: The main medium that most of the readers use, with the print edition being secondary (for the minority of customers that choose to pay for it) or, in some cases, retired. The decline of newspapers in the early 21st century was at first largely interpreted as a mere print-versus-digital contest in which digital beats print. The reality is different and multivariate, as newspapers now routinely have online presence; anyone willing to subscribe can read them digitally online. Factors such as classified ads no longer being
18683-439: The major cities of Europe, from Venice to London. The Dutch Courante uyt Italien, Duytslandt, &c. ("Courant from Italy, Germany, etc.") of 1618 was the first to appear in folio- rather than quarto-size . Amsterdam, a center of world trade, quickly became home to newspapers in many languages, often before they were published in their own country. The first English-language newspaper, Corrant out of Italy, Germany, etc. ,
18840-457: The majority of these newspapers' staff members work Monday to Friday, so the Sunday and Monday editions largely depend on content made in advance or content that is syndicated. Most daily newspapers are sold in the morning. Afternoon or evening papers, once common but now scarce, are aimed more at commuters and office workers. In practice (though this may vary according to country), a morning newspaper
18997-575: The national average of 3.3. The Kolkata Port Trust, an agency of the central government, manages the city's river port. As of 2023 , the All India Trinamool Congress controls the KMC; the mayor is Firhad Hakim , while the deputy mayor is Atin Ghosh. The city has an apolitical titular post, that of the Sheriff of Kolkata , which presides over various city-related functions and conferences. As
19154-578: The national rate of 187.6; it was the lowest rate among India's largest cities. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation supplies the city with potable water that is sourced from the Hooghly River; most of it is treated and purified at the Palta pumping station located in North ;24 Parganas district. Roughly 95% of the 4,000 tonnes of refuse produced daily by the city is transported to the dumping grounds in Dhapa , which
19311-785: The news). Besides, the rise of news aggregators , which bundle linked articles from many online newspapers and other sources, influences the flow of web traffic . Increasing paywalling of online newspapers may be counteracting those effects. The oldest newspaper still published is the Ordinari Post Tijdender , which was established in Stockholm in 1645. Newspapers typically meet four criteria: In Ancient Rome , Acta Diurna , or government announcement bulletins, were produced. They were carved in metal or stone and posted in public places. In China, early government-produced news-sheets, called Dibao , circulated among court officials during
19468-399: The news, then sell the content to the various newspapers. This is a way to avoid duplicating the expense of reporting from around the world. c. 2005 , there were approximately 6,580 daily newspaper titles in the world selling 395 million print copies a day (in the U.S., 1,450 titles selling 55 million copies). The late 2000s–early 2010s global recession , combined with
19625-563: The newspaper discussed taboo topics like female masturbation, and proto- class consciousness , arguing for the rights of the poor and against taxation without representation . It was strongly anti-war and anti- colonial and routinely ridiculed East India Company leadership for their expansionist and imperialist objectives. The memoirist William Hickey (who was not related to the paper's founder) describes its establishment shortly after he had succeeded (in his capacity as an attorney-at-law) in having James Hicky released from debtor's jail: "At
19782-468: The newspaper itself—editorial, production/printing, circulation, and advertising, although they are frequently referred to by a variety of other names. Most papers also have the non-newspaper-specific departments found in other businesses of comparable size, such as accounting, marketing, human resources, and IT. Throughout the English-speaking world, the person who selects the content for the newspaper
19939-414: The norm in Kolkata, which has an informal sector that employs more than 40% of the labour force. One unorganised group, roadside hawkers , generated business worth ₹ 87.72 billion (equivalent to ₹ 300 billion or US$ 3.6 billion in 2023) in 2005. As of 2001 , around 0.81% of the city's workforce was employed in the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, mining, etc.); 15.49% worked in
20096-588: The official press service of the Portuguese crown. In 1821, after the ending of the ban of private newspaper circulation, appears the first non-imperial printed publication, Diário do Rio de Janeiro , though there existed already the Correio Braziliense , published by Hipólito José da Costa at the same time as the Gazeta , but from London and with forcefully advocated political and critical ideas, aiming to expose
20253-416: The population; 1.09% did not state a religion in the census. Kolkata reported 67.6% of Special and Local Laws crimes registered in 35 large Indian cities during 2004. Kolkata is administered by several government agencies. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation , or KMC, oversees and manages the civic infrastructure of the city's 16 boroughs, which together encompass 144 wards. Each ward elects
20410-616: The press as well. The first newspapers in the Ottoman Empire were owned by foreigners living there who wanted to make propaganda about the Western world. The earliest was printed in 1795 by the Palais de France in Pera . Indigenous Middle Eastern journalism started in 1828, when Muhammad Ali , Khedive of Egypt, ordered the local establishment of the gazette Vekayi-i Misriye ( Egyptian Affairs ). It
20567-430: The printed newspapers through the mail, by newspaper carriers , at retailers, and through vending machines. Free newspapers do not sell subscriptions, but they still have a circulation department responsible for distributing the newspapers. Sales staff in the advertising department not only sell ad space to clients such as local businesses, but also help clients design and plan their advertising campaigns. Other members of
20724-433: The rapid growth of free web-based alternatives, has helped cause a decline in advertising and circulation, as many papers had to retrench operations to stanch the losses. Worldwide annual revenue approached $ 100 billion in 2005–7, then plunged during the worldwide financial crisis of 2008–9. Revenue in 2016 fell to only $ 53 billion, hurting every major publisher as their efforts to gain online income fell far short of
20881-416: The reader can select how much of each section (politics, sports, arts, etc.) they wish to see in their news. In the U.S., the overall manager or chief executive of the newspaper is the publisher. In small newspapers, the owner of the publication (or the largest shareholder in the corporation that owns the publication) is usually the publisher. Most newspapers have four main departments devoted to publishing
21038-462: The reader to create their individual newspaper through the selection of individual pages from multiple publications. This "Best of" approach allows revival of the print-based model and opens up a new distribution channel to increase coverage beneath the usual boundaries of distribution. Customized newspapers online have been offered by MyYahoo , I-Google , CRAYON, ICurrent.com, Kibboko.com, Twitter . times and many others. With these online newspapers ,
21195-690: The region in which the city stands has been inhabited for over two millennia. Kolkata or Kalikata in its earliest mentions, is described to be a village surrounded with jungle on the bank of river Ganga as a renowned port, commercial hub and a hindu pilgrimage site for Kalighat Temple . The first mention of the Kalikata village was found in Bipradas Pipilai's Manasa Vijay (1495), where he describes how Chand Sadagar used to stop in Kalighat to worship Goddess Kali during his path to trade voyage. Later Kalikata
21352-575: The rest of West Bengal; these men commonly leave their families behind. Kolkata's literacy rate of 87.14% exceeds the national average of 74%. The final population totals of census 2011 stated the population of city as 4,496,694. The urban agglomeration had a population of 14,112,536 in 2011. As of 2003 , about one-third of the population, or 15 lakh (1.5 million) people, lived in 3,500 unregistered squatter-occupied and 2,011 registered slums . The authorised slums (with access to basic services like water, latrines, trash removal by
21509-609: The same methods with Die Presse (which was named for and frankly copied Girardin's publication). While most newspapers are aimed at a broad spectrum of readers, usually geographically defined, some focus on groups of readers defined more by their interests than their location: for example, there are daily and weekly business newspapers (e.g., The Wall Street Journal and India Today ) and sports newspapers. More specialist still are some weekly newspapers, usually free and distributed within limited regional areas; these may serve communities as specific as certain immigrant populations,
21666-450: The same section as the editorial), and columns that express the personal opinions of columnists , usually offering analysis and synthesis that attempts to translate the raw data of the news into information telling the reader "what it all means" and persuading them to concur. Papers also include articles that have no byline ; these articles are written by staff writers. A wide variety of material has been published in newspapers. Besides
21823-663: The seat of the Government of West Bengal , Kolkata is home to not only the offices of the local governing agencies, but also the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ; the state secretariat, which is housed in the Writers' Building; and the Calcutta High Court . Most government establishments and institutions are housed in the centre of the city in B. B. D. Bagh (formerly known as Dalhousie Square). The Calcutta High Court
21980-467: The time I first saw Hicky he had been about seven years in India. During his confinement he met with a treatise upon printing, from which he collected sufficient information to commence [as a] printer, there never having been a press in Calcutta ... it occurred to Hicky that great benefit might arise from setting on foot a public newspaper, nothing of that kind ever having appeared. Upon his types &c., therefore reaching him, he issued proposals for printing
22137-530: The week during the Christmas period depending the day of the week Christmas Day is falling on. A local newspaper serves a region such as a city, or part of a large city. Almost every market has one or two newspapers that dominate the area. Large metropolitan newspapers often have large distribution networks, and can be found outside their normal area, sometimes widely, sometimes from fewer sources. Most nations have at least one newspaper that circulates throughout
22294-569: The whole country: a national newspaper . Some national newspapers, such as the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal , are specialised (in these examples, on financial matters). There are many national newspapers in the United Kingdom , but only a few in the United States and Canada . In Canada, The Globe and Mail is sold throughout the country. In the United States, in addition to national newspapers as such, The New York Times
22451-408: The wider range of readers are omitted from international editions; in others, of interest to expatriates , significant national news is retained. As English became the international language of business and technology, many newspapers formerly published only in non-English languages have also developed English-language editions. In places as varied as Jerusalem and Mumbai , newspapers are printed for
22608-603: Was also found to be mentioned in Mukundaram Chakrabarti 's Chandimangal (1594), Todar Mal's taxation-list in 1596 and Krishnaram Das's Kalikamangal (1676–77). Kalighat was then considered a safe place for businessmen. They used to carry on trade through the Bhagirathi and took shelter there at night. Kolkata's recorded history began in 1690 with the arrival of the English East India Company , which
22765-489: Was consolidating its trade business in Bengal. Job Charnock is often regarded as the founder of the city; however, in response to a public petition, the Calcutta High Court ruled in 2003 that the city does not have a founder. The area occupied by the present-day city encompassed three villages: Kalikata , Gobindapur and Sutanuti . Kalikata was a fishing village, where a handful of merchants began their operations by building
22922-420: Was finally suppressed when Hastings instituted fresh lawsuits against him. Hicky's Bengal Gazette ceased publication on 30 March 1782 when its types were seized by an order of the Supreme Court. The next week, its types and printing press were publicly auctioned and sold to the India Gazette . Hicky's Bengal Gazette was known for its sarcastic and provocative writing style. Unlike many newspapers of its time,
23079-510: Was first paper written in Ottoman Turkish and Arabic on opposite pages, and later in Arabic only, under the title " al-Waqa'i'a al-Masriya ". The first non-official Turkish newspaper, Ceride-i Havadis (Register of Events), was published by an Englishman, William Churchill, in 1840. The first private newspaper to be published by Turkish journalists, Tercüman-ı Ahvâl (Interpreter of Events),
23236-637: Was first published in Sweden in 1645, and is the oldest newspaper still in existence, though it now publishes solely online. Opregte Haarlemsche Courant from Haarlem , first published in 1656, is the oldest paper still printed. It was forced to merge with the newspaper Haarlems Dagblad in 1942 when Germany occupied the Netherlands. Since then the Haarlems Dagblad has appeared with the subtitle Oprechte Haerlemse Courant 1656 . Merkuriusz Polski Ordynaryjny
23393-412: Was founded by İbrahim Şinasi and Agah Efendi and issued in 1860. The first newspaper in Iran, Kaghaz-e Akhbar (The Newspaper), was created for the government by Mirza Saleh Shirazi in 1837. The first journals in the Arabian Peninsula appeared in Hijaz , once it had become independent of Ottoman rule, towards the end of World War I. One of the earliest women to sign her articles in the Arab press
23550-404: Was once the premier centre of Indian commerce, culture, and politics, suffered many decades of political violence and economic stagnation before it rebounded. In the late 20th century, the city hosted the government-in-exile of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. It was also flooded with Hindu refugees from East Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) in the decades following
23707-407: Was published in Kraków , Poland in 1661. The first successful English daily, The Daily Courant , was published from 1702 to 1735. In Boston in 1690, Benjamin Harris published Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick . This is considered the first newspaper in the American colonies even though only one edition was published before the paper was suppressed by the government. In 1704,
23864-464: Was published in 1631, La Gazette (originally published as Gazette de France ). The first newspaper in Italy, in accordance with the oldest issue still preserved, was Di Genova published in 1639 in Genoa . The first newspaper in Portugal, A Gazeta da Restauração , was published in 1641 in Lisbon . The first Spanish newspaper, Gaceta de Madrid , was published in 1661. Post- och Inrikes Tidningar (founded as Ordinari Post Tijdender )
24021-414: Was published in Amsterdam in 1620. In the same year, the Antwerp periodial Nieuwe Tijdinghen was published by Abraham Verhoeven . In 1621, Corante, or weekely newes from Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Bohemia, France and the Low Countreys was published in England by an "N.B." (generally thought to be either Nathaniel Butter or Nicholas Bourne) and Thomas Archer. The first newspaper in France
24178-447: Was the female medical practitioner Galila Tamarhan , who contributed articles to a medical magazine called " Ya'asub al-Tib " (Leader in Medicine) in the 1860s. By the early 19th century, many cities in Europe, as well as North and South America, published newspaper-type publications though not all of them developed in the same way; content was vastly shaped by regional and cultural preferences. Advances in printing technology related to
24335-411: Was the first avowed nationalist organisation in India. The partition of Bengal in 1905 along religious lines led to mass protests, making Calcutta a less hospitable place for the British. The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1911. Calcutta continued to be a centre for revolutionary organisations associated with the Indian independence movement . The city and its port were bombed several times by
24492-431: Was the second largest city in the British Empire , after London , and was the centre of bureaucracy, politics, law, education, science and the arts in India. The city was associated with many of the figures and movements of the Bengali Renaissance . It was the hotbed of the Indian nationalist movement . The partition of Bengal in 1947 affected the fortunes of the city. Following independence in 1947, Kolkata, which
24649-850: Was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after". Languages spoken in Kolkata city (2011 census) Bengali , the official state language, is the dominant language in Kolkata. English is also used, particularly by the white-collar workforce. Hindi and Urdu are spoken by a sizeable minority. Bengali Hindus form the majority of Kolkata's population; Marwaris , Biharis and Urdu-speaking Muslims compose large minorities. Among Kolkata's smaller communities are Chinese , Tamils , Nepalis , Pathans/Afghans (locally known as Kabuliwala ) Odias , Telugus , Gujaratis , Anglo-Indians , Armenians , Bengali Muslims , Greeks , Tibetans , Maharashtrians , Konkanis , Malayalees , Punjabis and Parsis . The number of Armenians, Greeks, Jews and other foreign-origin groups declined during
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