Engaging with News: Print Media and Literacy Practices in Kerala, India

Malayalam-language newspapers published in the southern Indian state of Kerala are known for their contribution to the vernacular public sphere. However, while the popularity of commercial Malayalam-language newspapers has steadily increased over the past decades, “community-based” publications such as Deepika have experienced decline. Using the case of Deepika and drawing on the New Literacy Studies scholarship, we examine how print newspapers enter into the daily lives of people and analyze the reading practices associated with this tactile form of media in this part of the world. Our article contributes to Global South journalism studies by illuminating how literacy practices can provide an alternative theoretical framework to better understand the cultural meanings of print news media.