A SURVEY REPORT

ON
“A STUDY OF READER’S PREFERENCES REGARDING THE MAJOR

ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS (GENERAL+ BUSINESS) IN THE CITY

OF VARANASI”

Submitted in the partial fulfillment of PGDM 2nd sem

SESSION : 2009 – 2010

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, VARANASI

Under the supervision of : Compiled by :

Dr. Ravi Shekhar Vishal Nidhi
Lecturer , SMS, Varanasi PG/15/060- 2nd sem

A SURVEY REPORT
ON
 “A STUDY OF READER’S PREFERENCES REGARDING THE MAJOR

ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS (GENERAL+ BUSINESS) IN THE CITY

OF VARANASI”

Submitted in the partial fulfillment of PGDM 2nd sem

SESSION : 2009 – 2010

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, VARANASI

Under the supervision of : Compiled by :

Dr. Ravi Shekhar Vishal Nidhi
Lecturer , SMS, Varanasi PG/15/060- 2nd sem

DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this survey report on the topic ‘A STUDY OF READER’S
PREFERENCES REGARDING THE MAJOR ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS
(GENERAL + BUSINESS ) IN THE CITY OF VARANASI, is submitted to
School of Management Sciences, Varanasi & the information collected or
presented in this report is correct to the best of my knowledge & belief.I have
utilized the requisite concept and applied the required methodologies to analyze
the primary data collected to reach the presented in the report.

……….……………………..
( Signature)

Place ………..
Date ………..

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A project report is a combined effort of many hands & brain. So, I would like to
thank all those people who helped me directly or indirectly. It is indeed a moment
of immense gratification for me to express my deepest gratitude to the faculty of
school of management sciences for providing me an opportunity to carry out this
survey and help me create the survey report on
READER’S PREFERENCES REGARDING THE MAJOR ENGLISH
NEWSPAPERS (GENERAL + BUSINESS ) IN THE CITY OF VARANASI,
Firstly, I would thank Prof. P N Jha, the Director of SMS, for giving me an
opportunity to ca rry out this field survey. I would like to thank my mentor Dr.
Ravi Shekhar Vishal, lecturer, SMS varanasi who helped me in completing this
project successfully with his untiring support, valuable inputs and guidelines to
structure the report without which the completion of this project would not have
been possible.
I am highly indebted to each and every person who devoted valuable time out of
their busy schedule to fill up the questionnaire in time.I am also thankful to my
classmates for their suggestion and support .

Nidhi
Roll No. PG/15/060
PGDM - II SEM
SMS,VARANASI

PREFACE

This survey has been conducted to study the READER’S PREFERENCES

REGARDING THE MAJOR ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS (GENERAL+
BUSINESS) IN THE CITY OF VARANASI”
 This survey is carried to translate the theoretical knowledge of
subject into practical field work . This survey report basically delves deeper into
the various aspects of Newspaper industry as a whole so as to identify the
parameters set by different newspapers and news corporation .Through report, I
have genuinely tried to map general public opinion, demand, requirement and
satisfaction level regarding quality, content and presentation of the newspaper
.The complete process was a good learning experience for me.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Introduction
 Objectives
 Research Methodology
 An overview of English Newspapers
 Analysis & Interpretation
 Findings
 Conclusions
 Limitations
 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION

A newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising.

Newspapers are said to offer majority of national and international news. The

history of newspaper in India began in 1780, with the publication of the Bengal

Gazette from Calcutta. James Augustus Hickey is considered the "father of Indian

press" as he started the first Indian newspaper from Calcutta, the `Bengal Gazette`

or `Calcutta General Advertise` in January, 1780. This first printed newspaper was
a weekly publication. In 1789, the first newspaper from Bombay (now Mumbai),

the `Bombay Herald` appeared, followed by the `Bombay Courier` in the

following year. Later, this newspaper merged with the Times of India in 1861.

These newspapers carried news of the areas under the British rule. The Times of

India was founded in 1838 as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce by

Bennett, Coleman and Company, a colonial enterprise now owned by an Indian

conglomerate. The Times Group publishes The Economic Times (launched in

1961), Nav-bharat Times (Hindi language), and the Maharashtra Times (Marathi

language).

Newspapers and magazines in India are independent and usually privately owned.

About 5,000 newspapers, 150 of them major publications, are published daily in

nearly 100 languages. Over 40,000 periodicals are also published in India. During

the 1950s, 214 daily newspapers were published in the country. Out of these, 44

were English language dailies while the rest were published in various regional

languages. This number rose to 2,856 dailies in 1990 with 209 English dailies. The

total number of newspapers published in the country reached 35,595 newspapers

by 1993 (3,805 dailies). Newspaper sale in the country increased by 11.22% in

2007. India consumed 99 million newspaper copies as of 2007, making it the

second largest market in the world for newspapers.

In 1997, the total number of newspapers and periodicals published in India was

around 41705, which include 4720 dailies and 14743 weeklies. However, in the

last one decade the news media in India has changed rapidly. All the major news

media outlets have an accompanying news website. A new class of newspapers in

India is entirely Internet based.

 OBJECTIVES

Following are the objectives of given project:

 To know various English newspapers
 To know about popularity of English newspaper in varanasi
 To know availability of English newspaper in varanasi
 To know the inclination of different age group towards English newspapers
 To know readers satisfaction regarding English newspapers
 To know the major players in English newspapers
 Research Methodology

• Type of Research Descriptive

• Type of Data Primary
• Data Collection Method Questionnaire
• Universe Of Study Newspaper readers of Varanasi
• Sample Size 100
• Sample unit Individual reader of English
Newspaper
• Sampling Technique Convenient Sampling
 Types of newspapers

General newspapers or non business newspapers : General-interest newspapers

often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society
and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing
columns that express the personal opinions of writers. Supplementary sections
may contain advertising, comics, and coupons.

Business Newspapers: They keep us abreast of latest happenings in business and

economy. They give us information about market whether it be local, national or
international.

Daily

A daily newspaper is issued every day, sometimes with the exception of Sundays
and some national holidays. Saturday and, where they exist, Sunday editions of
daily newspapers tend to be larger, include more specialized sections and
advertising inserts, and cost more. Typically, the majority of these newspapers’
staff work Monday to Friday, so the Sunday and Monday editions largely depend
on content done in advance or content that is syndicated. Most daily newspapers
are published in the morning. Afternoon or evening papers are aimed more at
commuters and office workers.

Weekly

Weekly newspapers are common and tend to be smaller than daily papers. In some
cases, there also are newspapers that are published twice or three times a week. In
the United States, such newspapers are generally still classified as weeklies.

National

Most nations have at least one newspaper that circulates throughout the whole
country: a national newspaper, as contrasted with a local newspaper serving a city
or region. In the United Kingdom, there are numerous national newspapers,
including The Independent, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The
Observer, The Daily Mail, The Sun, The Daily Express and The Daily Mirror. In
the United States and Canada, there are few national newspapers. Almost every
market has one or two newspapers that dominate the area. Certain newspapers,
notably The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today in the US,
and The Globe and Mail and The National Post in Canada are available throughout
the country. In India, where Internet penetration is too low when compared to
other developed countries, newspapers like Times of India, The Hindu, Hindustan
Times etc are the only source of information for rural and urban people. Large
metropolitan newspapers have also expanded distribution networks and with effort
can be found outside their normal area.

INTERNATIONAL
There is also a small group of newspapers which may be characterised as
international newspapers. Some, such as The International Herald Tribune, have
always had that focus, while others are repackaged national newspapers or
"international editions" of national-scale or large metropolitan newspapers. Often
these international editions are scaled down to remove articles that might not
interest the wider range of readers.

As English has become the international language of business and technology,

many newspapers formerly published only in non-English languages have also
developed English-language editions.

ONLINE NEWSPAPER
Most newspapers provide some or all of their content on the Internet, either at no
cost or for a fee. In some cases, free access is available only for a matter of days or
weeks, after which readers must register and provide personal data. In other cases,
free archives are provided
 PRINTING OF NEWSPAPER

Advances in printing technology related to the Industrial Revolution enabled

newspapers to become a widely circulated means of communication. In 1814, The
Times (London) acquired a printing press capable of making 1,100 impressions
per minute.

Soon, it was adapted to print on both sides of a page at once. This innovation made
newspapers cheaper and thus available to a larger part of the population.

Newspapers are usually printed on inexpensive, off-white paper known as

newsprint. Since the 1980s, the newspaper industry has largely moved away from
lower-quality letterpress printing to higher-quality, four-color process, offset
printing. In addition, desktop computers, word processing software, graphics
software, digital cameras and digital prepress and typesetting technologies have
revolutionized the newspaper production process. These technologies have
enabled newspapers to publish color photographs and graphics, as well as
innovative layouts and better design.

With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of
publishing has expanded to include electronic resources, such as the electronic
versions of books and periodicals, as well as websites, blogs, video games and the
like.
 STEPS INVOLVED IN PRINTING OF NEWSPAPER

TYPESETTING:
The composing room receives the story in an electronic format with the computer
text file already translated with typeset code. In a typeset file the characters are of
same types I.e. style, size, width as they appear on the page of newspaper .The
setting of stories into the type that a reader sees went unchanged for several
decades until the latter years of 20th century The invention of linotype machine in
1884 made possible a quicker, more efficient method of typesetting. This
cumbersome machine worked by casting hot lead into a line of type with the
assistance of an operator who typed in the copy on a keyboard Individual lines of
type were then placed by hand onto a page form. When a page was completed it
was then sent to a stereotyping room where a curved metal plate was made from
the page form which was then placed on the printing press.
Modern technology has placed the linotype process through a method
called phototypesetting.
IMAGE TRANSFERRANCE:
The final version of page is then approved by the editor on duty – sometimes a
night editor in the case of a paper that is slated for a morning edition and sent over
to a process department. There the page is taken in its computer format and
transferred via laser beams onto film in an image setter apparatus. The operator
then takes the film to a processor in another section of the paper, who develops it
and adjusts it for its final looks. Photographs are scanned into another computer
terminal and inserted into the page layout. The pages that are set to be printed
together are then taped down onto a device that is called a stripper. An editor
checks them over once more for errors. The strippers are then put into frames on
light sensitive films, and the image of each page is burned onto the film. The film
of each page is inserted into a laser reader, a large facsimile machine that scans the
page and digitally transfers the images to the printing center of the newspaper. At
the printing center, typically a large plant separate from the newspaper’s editorial
offices and centrally located to facilitate city wide distribution, the pages arrive at
the laser room and are put through a laser writer, another scanning device that
makes a negative image of them .In the negative images of page the text is white
while blank spaces are black. The final image of each page is further adjusted.
This last minute adjustment may involve fine tuning of the colored section and
retouching photographs.
PLATEMAKING:
From these negatives the forms from which the paper will be printed are composed
in a plate making room. The film of the page, usually done two pages at a time, is
then placed on a lighted box. Next an aluminum plate containing a light sensitive
coating is placed on top of image of the page. The light box is then switched on,
and ultraviolet light develops the image of the pages onto the aluminum plate. The
aluminum plate is then bent at the edges so that it will fit into a press, and is fitted
onto plate cylinders.

PRINTING
The aluminum plates of each page next move onto actual printing press, an
enormous machine .When the press is running the noise in the building is
deafening and the employees must wear earplugs. The most common methods of
printing newspaper are called web offset. The web refers to the large sheets of
blank newsprint that are inserted in rolls, sometimes weighing over tones into
actual printing press. The reels of newsprints are loaded in at the bottom floor of
the press .The rolls are inserted onto a reel stand which has three components: The
first reel brings a roll of paper up to the press, a second is loaded and ready to
replace the first roll when it rolls out, and a third reel stays empty and ready to be
fed with another when the first reel is almost finished. Each roll of blank newsprint
has double sided tape at its edges so that when one roll runs out in the press the
other smoothly takes up where the other lefts off without interrupting the printing
process.
The plate cylinder then presses the image of the page onto a blank cylinder leaving
a version of the page’s image on the cylinder’s soft material. When the paper runs
through the press the blanket cylinder presses the image onto it .The chemical
reaction of the ink which contains oil and the squirting of jets of water into the
process results in the actual newspaper page of black or colored images on a white
background .Since oil and water do not mix the areas where ink should adhere to
the page are black or colored, and water washes away the parts where ink is not
needed .This is why this printing process is referred to as offset.
N ext the large sheets of printed newsprint move onto another large piece of
machinery called a folder .There the pages are cut individually and folded in order.
This entire printing process can move as fast as 60000 copies per hour. Quality
control technicians and supervisors take random copies and scan them for printing
malfunctions in color, order and readability .Next a conveyor belt moves the
papers into mail room section of the plant where they are stacked into quires or
bundles of 24.The quire then moves to another section where a machine wraps
them in plastic.The bundles are now ready to be loaded on delivery trucks for
distribution.

Newspaper circulation

A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day.

Newspaper circulation rates are currently experiencing a downward trend.
Circulation is not always the same as copies sold. Readership figures are usually
higher than circulation figures because of the assumption that a typical copy of the
newspaper is read by more than one person. In India, The Times of India is the
largest-circulation English newspaper, with 3.14 million copies daily. In many
countries, circulations are audited by independent bodies such as the Audit Bureau
of Circulations . . Increase in the literacy rate had direct positive effect on the rise
of circulation of the regional papers. The people were first educated in their
mother tongue according to their state in which they live. The number of copies
distributed, either on an average day or on particular days (typically Sunday), is
called the newspaper’s circulation. Circulation is not necessarily the same as
copies sold, since some copies or newspapers are distributed without cost.
Readership figures may be higher than circulation figures because many copies are
read by more than one person, although this is offset by the number of copies
distributed but not read.

A common measure of a newspaper’s health is market penetration, expressed as a

percentage of households that receive a copy of the newspaper against the total
number of households in the paper’s market area. Many paid-for newspapers offer
a variety of subscription plans. For example, someone might want only a Sunday
paper, or perhaps only Sunday and Saturday, or maybe only a workweek
subscription, or perhaps a daily subscription
 SIZES OF NEWSPAPER

Most modern newspapers are in one of three sizes

Broadsheets: 600 mm by 380 mm (23½ by 15 inches), generally associated with
more intellectual newspapers, although a trend towards "compact" newspapers is
changing this.

Tabloids: half the size of broadsheets at 380 mm by 300 mm (15 by 11¾ inches),
and often perceived as sensationalist in contrast to broadsheets. Examples: The
Sun, The National Enquirer, The National Ledger, The Star Magazine, New York
Post, the Chicago Sun-Times, The Globe.

Berliner or Midi: 470 mm by 315 mm (18½ by 12¼ inches) used by European

papers such as Le Monde in France, La Stampa in Italy, El Pais in Spain and, since
12 September 2005, The Guardian in the United Kingdom.

IMPORTANCE OF NEWSPAPER

 Newspapers are said to offer majority of national and international news.

 Newspapers also act as promoters of certain market products.
 The newspapers like Business standard ,business line, Economic Times etc.
carry news about the Economy, Companies, Infrastructure, Trends in the
Economy, Finance, Stocks, Forex and Commodities
 They provide information about latest research in the field of science and
technology, medical sciences and other fields.
 It also keeps us updated about politics of India as well as world.
 It also keeps us abreast of social as well as cultural issues.
Some common players of English newspapers in Varanasi

1.The Times of India

2.The Hindu

3.The Hindustan Times

4.The Economic Times

5.Business Standard

6.Business line

THE TIMES OF INDIA

The Times of India (TOI) is a leading English-language broadsheet daily
newspaper in India. It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co.
Ltd. (The Times Group). If circulation is an indicator, the largest number of
people in India consider the Times of India the best. But that's partly
because it's published in several cities, giving more people access to it.
Times Of India is WORLD’S 5TH newspaper in top 10 English
Newspaper.
It has the largest circulation among all English-language
newspapers in the world , across all formats (broadsheet, tabloid, compact,
Berliner and online In 2008, the newspaper reported that (with a circulation
of over 3.14 million) it was certified by the Audit Bureau of Circulations as
the world's largest selling English-language daily newspaper, placing as the
8th largest selling newspaper in any language in the world. According to the
Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2008, the Times of India is the most widely
read English newspaper in India with a readership of 13.3 million.
The Times of India is printed from the following places in India : Sahibabad
Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Bhopal ,Chandigarh, Chennai ,Delhi
Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata , Lucknow
Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur ,Patna, Pune, Ranchi ,Surat.

HINDUSTAN TIMES
Hindustan Times (HT) is an Indian English-language daily newspaper
founded in 1924.Hindustan Times is the flagship publication of HT Media
Ltd. It has a significant position in the English newspaper market in North
India. HT has also successfully diversified into internet business and
electronic media with HindustanTimes.com The Delhi-based English
newspaper Hindustan Times is part of the KK Birla group and managed by
Shobhana Bhartia, daughter of the industrialist KK Birla, and granddaughter
of GD Birla. It is owned by HT Media Ltd. The KK Birla group at present
owns 69 per cent stake in HT Media, currently valued at Rs 834 crore.
When Shobhana Bhartia joined Hindustan Times in 1986, she was the first
woman chief executive of a national newspaper.In 2008, the newspaper
reported that with a (circulation of over 1.14 million) it was certified by the
Audit Bureau of Circulations ranking them as the third largest circulatory
daily English newspaper in India. Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2008,
revealed that HT has a readership of (6.6 million) placing them as the
second most-widely read English Newspaper in India after Times of India.
It has a wide reach in northern India (barring Southern India), with
simultaneous editions from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna,
Ranchi, Bhopal and Chandigarh. The print location of Jaipur was
discontinued from June 2006.The Mumbai edition was launched on 14 July
2005 and the Kolkata edition was launched on early 2000.

THE HINDU
The Hindu is an English-language Indian daily newspaper. With a
circulation of 1.45 million,[1] The Hindu is the second-largest circulated
daily English newspaper in India after Times of India, and slightly ahead of
The Economic Times. According to the Indian Readership Survey (IRS)
2008 The Hindu is the third most-widely read English newspaper in India
(after Times of India and Hindustan Times) with a readership of 5.2 million.
It has its largest base of circulation in South India, especially Tamil Nadu.
Headquartered at Chennai. The Hindu was published weekly when it was
launched in 1878, and started publishing daily in 1889.
The Hindu became, in 1995, the first Indian newspaper to offer an online
edition.
The Hindu is published from 13 locations — Bangalore, Chennai,
Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Madurai, Mangalore,
Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam .

Business Standard
Business Standard, Ltd. publishes a business daily newspaper from Mumbai, New
Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad in India. The
company also publishes various periodicals and magazines, as well as offers it
publications online. Its publications provide information on markets and investing,
companies and industry, banking and finance, economy and policies, opinions and
analysis, life and leisure, and management and marketing. Business Standard, Ltd.
was incorporated in 1970 and is based in New Delhi, India.Ltd. publishes a
business daily newspaper from Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai,
Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad in India. The company also publishes various
periodicals and magazines, as well as offers it publications online. Its publications
provide information on markets and investing, companies and industry, banking
and finance, economy and policies, opinions and analysis, life and leisure, and
management and marketing. Business Standard, Ltd. was incorporated in 1970 and
is based in New Delhi, India.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES

The Economic Times is an English-language Indian daily newspaper
published by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., (This company along with
its other group companies is more popularly known as The Times
Group).The Economic Time,started in 1961, is published simultaneously
from 10 Metropolitan Cities-Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata,
Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahemedabad, Chandigarh & Pune. The company
also published the Navbharat Times, the Maharashtra Times, Femina, and
Filmfare .The Economic Times has its offices in Mumbai outside Chatrapati
Shivaji Terminus railway station. Its main content is based on the Indian
economy, share prices, prices of commodities as well as other matters
related to finance. The Founder / Editor of the paper when it was launched
in 1961 was P.S. Hariharan. The current Executive Editor of The Economic
Times is Rahul Joshi.
The Economic Times is characterised by its salmon-pink paper, which it
copied from the better-known Financial Times. It is sold in all major cities
in India. In June 2009, it also launched a television channel called ET Now.
BUSINESS LINE
Business Line or The Hindu Business Line is an Indian business newspaper
published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper The Hindu. It
is the only white paper on business.
Business Line started publishing in 1994. Published as a
broadsheet, it has a circulation of around 130,000 copies. Circulation of
Business Line on Sunday is higher than other days.

Business Line is published from 14 locations: Bangalore, Chennai,

Coimbatore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Madurai, Mangalore,
Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Vijayawada and
Visakhapatnam.

Its Editor-in-Chief is Mr. N. Ram and the Joint Editor is Mr. K. Venugopal.
Mohan Padmanabhan writes many of the articles.

Its staff consists of reporters and researchers. It is the only paper having a
research bureau.

MEDIA HOUSES PUBLISHING ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS

HT MEDIA
HT Media found its beginning in 1924 when its flagship newspaper, Hindustan
Times was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. HT Media has today grown to
become one of India's largest media companies.

Produced by an editorial team known for its quality, innovation and integrity,
Hindustan Times (English newspaper) and Hindustan (Hindi newspaper through a
subsidiary Hindustan Media Ventures Limited), have a combined daily readership
base of 12.7 million (based on round 2 of Indian Readership Survey 2009) to their
credit. Both dailies enjoy a strong brand recognition among readers as well as
advertisers.

To cater to the large readership base, HT Media operates 19 printing facilities

across India with an installed capacity of 1.5 million copies per hour.

In addition to Hindustan Times, HT Media also publishes a national business

newspaper, Mint. Mint is a one-of-its-kind newspaper in the sense that the
company has an exclusive agreement with the Wall Street Journal to publish
Journal-branded news and information in India. Mint is today the second-largest
business newspaper in India with presence in the key markets of Delhi, Mumbai,
Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Pune and now Kolkata too.

The Times Group

The Times Group is the largest media services conglomerate in India. It is headed
by brothers Samir and Vineet Jain.
The company has from eleven publishing centers, fifteen printing centers, fifty-
five sales offices, Over 7000 employees, five dailies, including two of the largest
in the country with approx 4.3 million, copies circulated daily, two lead
magazines, twenty-nine niche magazines reaching 2468 cities and towns, [2thirty-
two Radio Stations, two Television News Channels, one Television Life Style
Channel and turnover in excess of USD 700 million.

The Times of India, World's largest English-language broadsheet daily newspaper

in terms of circulation .Its major brand include –

• The Economic Times, India's largest financial daily, and the world's second
largest in terms of circulation after The Wall Street Journal
• Maharashtra Times, India's largest Marathi daily
• Navbharat Times, the largest Hindi Daily in Delhi and Mumbai
• Mumbai Mirror India's largest circulated compact newspaper
• Kolkata Mirror, a city specific online portal

Living Media

Living Media India is a media conglomerate based in New Delhi, India. It has
interests in magazines, newspapers, books, radio, television, printing and the
Internet. LMI was founded in 1975 and its first publication was India Today which
was a fortnightly news magazine. Aroon Purie is the Chairman and Editor-in-
Chief and Ashish Bagga is the CEO.

Kasturi & Sons Ltd

Kasturi and Sons Limited publishes The Hindu newspaper. The company’s
publications include The Hindu Business Line, a business daily; The Sportstar, a
weekly sports magazine; Frontline, a fortnightly features magazine; Survey of
Indian Industry, an annual review on Indian industries; Survey of Indian
Agriculture, an annual review on Indian agriculture; Survey of the Environment,
an annual review of the environment; Indian Cricket, an annual record book on
Cricket; and The Hindu Index, a monthly and cumulated annual. The company
was founded in 1878 and is based in Chennai, India.
 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
1) Since how long you have been reading English Newspaper?

Time period No of respondent

a) Less than 6 months 11

b) 6 months -1 year 17

c) 1Year -2 year 23

d) More than 2 Years 49

INTERPRETATION: Out of 100 respondents49 % of people have been reading

English newspaper from more than two years 23% of
respondents were reading the Newspaper from 1-2yrs ,
17 % were reading the English newspaper from past 6
months while the remaining 11% said it has been less than
6 months

2) The frequency of your reading

Frequency of reading Respondents
a) Daily 65

b) Occasionally 17

c) Weekly 8

d) Fortnightly 10

INTERPRETATION: About 65 respondents were in the habit of reading English

Newspaper daily,17% of total sample read newspaper
occasionally, 10% fortnightly while only 8% read out
weekly

3) The time of reading these dailies

Time of reading Number of respondents

a) Morning 64

b) Noon 21

c) Evening 11

d) Night 4
INTERPRETATION: Out of 100 respondents
64% of total population preferred reading Newspaper in the
morning,21% in the noon,11% in the evening while just 4%
opted night time for reading the Newspaper.

4) The type of newspaper you read?

Type of Newspaper Respondents

a) Business 34

b) General or Non business 66

INTERPRETATION : 66% of the sample preferred reading Non-business

Newspaper while 34 % people liked reading business
Newspapers
5) The English daily you prefer to read?

Name Of Newspaper Number of Respondents

a) The Times of India 37

b) Economic Times 11

c) Business Standard 15

d) Hindustan Times 20

e) Others (specify)…….. 17

INTERPRETATION : Most of the people preferred reading The Times Of India

followed by Hindustan Times. Among business dailies Business standard was
most preferred followed by Economic Times .The remaining 17% preferred other
business or non business Newspapers like The Telegraph , Business Line etc.

6) The reason you prefer that newspaper?

Reasons behind reading NO. OF RESPONDENTS

a) Current News Coverage 47

b) Authenticity/Reliability 13

c) Excellent presentation 28

d) Rich features 12

INTERPRETATION: When asked about the reasons for preferring the

newspaper
of their choice 47% people agreed that it covered current
news,28% favoured its presentation,13% reliability and
remaining 12 % liked its other rich features

7) The good qualities of your preferred English newspaper?

Qualities Respondents
a) Facts and data 11

b) Strong editorial and commentary 09

c) Balanced political news 21

d) All of these 59
INTERPRETATION:
About 11% of people preferred facts and data,9% agreed with strong editorial and
commentary,21% favoured balanced political news while 59% favoured all the
choices.

8) The quality of news content of the newspaper you read?

Degree of Quality Respondents

a) Excellent 43

b) Good 36

c) Average 18

d) Below Average 03

INTERPRETATION : When people were asked about news quality about

43%marked it excellent,36% said it was good,18% stated
it as average and only 3% people ranked it below average
9) Why do you read the newspaper?
Reason for reading English Newspaper No. of Respondents
Remove the monotony of work 16
To keep abreast about the national /international happenings 49
To know about latest product/service offerings 17
To read feature/editorial comments only 12
To see TV listings/zodiac sign view for the day 06

INTERPRETATION : When asked about the reason for reading Newspaper 49

people out of 100 stated that they read Newspaper to
keep abreast of national and international happening
while 17 people know about latest products and
services,
16 people read out to remove the monotony of
Work, 12 respondents who liked reading
editorial column while a lesser number read for T.V.
listings and zodiac sign.

10) The kind of news you look for in English dailies?

Kinds of News No of respondents

a) Sports and Entertainment 23

b) Education and Research 17

c) Business and Economy 29

d) Social and Political 31

INTERPRETATION : About 29% of respondents preferred business and

economy news,31% favoured social and political
news.there were 23 % respondents who searched for
sports
and entertainment news while 17% looked for research
and educational news.
11) According to you the major age groups reading English Newspapers are

Age groups Respondents

a) 15 to 25 21
b) 25 to 35 47
c) 35 to 45 12
d) 45 to 55 09
e) 55 above 11
INTERPRETATION : It was found that age group 25 to 35 yrs was most
interested in reading English Newspaper second
weightage
given by 15 to 25 yr age group.

12) Do you find English newspapers are easily available in the city?

Availability Respondents
a) Yes 67
b) No 21
c) can’t say 12

INTERPRETATION : When questioned about the easy availability of newspaper

67% respondents said the Newspapers were easily
available,21% disagreed while rest 12% were not sure.
13) The English daily you find easily available in your locality?

Newspapers Respondents
a) The Times of India 41
b) Hindustan Times 23
c) Economic Times 19
d) Business standard 11
e) Others 6

INTERPRETATION : Out of 100 respondents about 41 % respondents liked The

Times Of India,23 % liked Hindustan Times,19 liked Economic Times while 6
liked other newspapers like business line, business standard or The Telegraph etc

14) Do you get the English newspaper according to your preference?

Choices Respondents
a) Yes 77
b) No 23
INTERPRETATION: When questioned if people got English Newspaper of
their choice according to their choice about 77%
respondents answered yes while remaining 23%
answered No.

15) The features you would like to see more in future in the newspaper you read?

Preferred Features Respondents

a) Health Related Topics 19
b) Business and Research 14
c) Social problems/issues 12
d) Cultural and Political issues 05

INTERPRETATION: When questioned about the preferred feature of newspaper

that they would like to be enhance , about 19% people
 favoured health related topics,14 favoured business and
research, 12 preferred social problem and issues while 5%
supported cultural and political issues

16) Are you satisfied with your preferred Newspaper?

Satisfaction level Respondents

a) Fully satisfied 59
b) Satisfied 37
c) Partially satisfied 4
d) Unsatisfied 0

INTERPRETATION: Out of 100 respondents 59 were fully satisfied , 37 were

Satisfied and only 4 were partially satisfied.
 FINDINGS
 In Varanasi people prefer reading both Business and Non- Business English
Newspaper
 The major players of English Newspapers are The Times Of India , The
Hindu , The Economic Times , Business Standard , Business Line,
Hindustan Times etc.
 The survey states that among Non Business dailies The Times Of India is
the most preferred English daily while among Business dailies The Business
Standard was most Preferred by the people
 Major age groups Reading English Newspaper was 25 to 35 years group
 Most of the people agreed that English Newspaper was easily available in
the city .A large number of people (41%) stated that The Times Of India
was most easily available English Newspaper
 CONCLUSION
Newspapers are a source of news and information. If man wants food for his belly,
he also needs news for his mind to keep pace with the world. The latter he gets
from newspapers. They refresh his knowledge and ideas. The newspapers have a
very important position and place in a democratic country. They are the critics of
administration, justice and law. They play the part of social reformers. They
remove the barriers separating man from man. They are the advocates of liberty;
equality and fraternity. They enforce the right and redress the wrong.
In Varanasi, people prefer reading both business as well as non business
Newspaper. However most of the people like The times of India ( non business or
general newspaper. Among business newspapers economic times as well as
business standard was preferred most. People were found interested in all sorts of
news like business, sports, education and research as well as political and social
issues.
 LIMITATIONS
The study was conducted with a severe time constraint .
There is possibility of incorrect information
Some of the people were not articulate enough to share their views.
Sample size is 100 which is not enough to represent entire readers of
varanasi
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Research methodology
Kothari, C.R
 www.wikipedia.com
 Questionnaire

A survey report on reader’s preferences towards English newspaper (business

+ non business) in the city of Varanasi

Dear Sir/Madam

I am conducting a field survey on aforesaid topic as a part of my curriculum, the

data of which would be kept confidential and all analysis would be for academic
purposes only. Please provide your kind support in filling up this questionnaire.
Thank you

NIDHI
PGDM- semester II
School Of Management Sciences, Varanasi
 RESPONDENT’S PROFILE

1) Name ____________________________________________________
2) Address __________________________________________________
3) Contact no. ________________________________________________

Age: ( ) 15-25 ( ) 26-35 ( ) 36-45 ( ) 46-60 ( ) 60 above

Occupation :- ( ) service ( ) self employed ( ) students ( ) housewife

( ) any other

Qualification :- ( ) 10+2 ( ) Under Graduate ( ) Post Graduate

( ) Post Graduate and Above
 Questionnaire

1) Since how long you have been reading English Newspaper?

a) Less than 6 months b) 6 months -1 year

c) 1Year -2 year d) More than 2 Years

2) The frequency of your reading

a) Daily b) Occasionally c) Weekly d) Fortnightly

3) The time of reading these dailies

a) Morning b) Noon c) Evening d) Night

4) The type of newspaper you read?

a) Business b) General or Non business

5) The English daily you prefer to read?

a) The Times of India b) Economic Times
b) Business Standard d) Hindustan Times
e) Others (specify………….)

6) The reason you prefer that newspaper?

a) Current News Coverage
b) Authenticity/Reliability
c) Excellent presentation
d) Rich features

7) The good qualities of your preferred English newspaper?

a) Facts and data b) Strong editorial and commentary
c) Balanced political news d) All of these

8) The quality of news content of the newspaper you read?

a) Excellent b) Good
c) Average d) Below Average

9) Why do you read the newspaper?

a) Remove the monotony of work
b) To keep abreast about the national /international happenings
c) To know about latest product/service offerings
d) To read feature/editorial comments only
e) To see TV listings/zodiac sign view for the day
10) The kind of news you look for in English dailies?
a) Sports and Entertainment b) Education and Research
c) Business and Economy d) Social and Political

11) According to you the major age groups reading English Newspapers are
a) 15 to 25 b) 25 to 35 c) 35 to 45 d) 45 to 55 e) 55 above

12) Do you find English newspapers are easily available in the city?
a) Yes b) No c) can’t say

13) The English daily you find easily available in your locality?
a) The Times of India b) Hindustan Times
c) Economic Times d) The Hindu
e) Others

14) Do you get the English newspaper according to your preference?

a) Yes b) No c) can’t say

15) The features you would like to see more in future in the newspaper you read?
a) Health Related Topics b) Business and Research
c) Social problems/issues d) Cultural and Political issues

16) Are you satisfied with your preferred Newspaper?

a) Fully satisfied b) Satisfied c) Partially satisfied d) Unsatisfied

17 ) Any suggesations

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