View source for Eenadu

{{Short description|Largest circulated Telugu newspaper}}
{{About|the newspaper|the 1982 Malayalam film|Ee Nadu|the 2009 Telugu film|Eenadu (2009 film)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name               = Eenadu<br/>ఈనాడు
| logo               = Eenadu front page logo new.png
| logo_size          = 220px
| image              = Eenadu newspaper front page.jpeg
| image_size         =
| caption            = Front page of ''Eenadu'', 5 June 2024
| type               = Daily [[newspaper]]
| format             = [[Broadsheet]]
| founded            = {{start date and age|df=yes|1974}}, [[Vishakapatnam]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]]
| ceased_publication = 
| language           = [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
| owners             = [[Ramoji Group]]<ref>{{cite web |title=India - World Newspapers and Magazines - Worldpress.org |url=http://www.worldpress.org/newspapers/ASIA/India.cfm |website=www.worldpress.org |access-date=14 August 2010 |archive-date=13 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913073013/http://worldpress.org/newspapers/ASIA/India.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| founder            = [[Ramoji Rao]]
| publisher          = Eenadu Publications
| chief_editor       = M.Nageswara Rao {{small|(Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, New Delhi editions)}}<br/>D.N. Prasad {{small|(Telangana edition)}}<ref name="ramojiexit">{{cite news |script-title=te:'ఈనాడు' నుంచి తప్పుకున్న రామోజీరావు |url=https://telugu.samayam.com/telangana/news/eenadu-chairman-ramoji-rao-exits-from-its-chief-editor-post/articleshow/72594954.cms |access-date=5 March 2020 |work=Samayam Telugu |date=14 December 2019 |language=te |archive-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515060926/https://telugu.samayam.com/telangana/news/eenadu-chairman-ramoji-rao-exits-from-its-chief-editor-post/articleshow/72594954.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
| editor             = 
| staff_writers      = 
| circulation        = 1,351,956<ref name=ABCIND>{{cite web | url= http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JD%202022%20Highest%20Circulated%20(across%20languages).pdf | title= Highest Circulated Daily Newspapers (language wise) | publisher= [[Audit Bureau of Circulations (India)|Audit Bureau of Circulations]] | access-date= 28 July 2023 | archive-date= 28 July 2023 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230728074928/http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JD%202022%20Highest%20Circulated%20(across%20languages).pdf | url-status= live }}</ref>
| circulation_date   = Dec 2022
| headquarters       = [[Somajiguda]], [[Hyderabad]], [[Telangana]], [[India]]
| ISSN               = 
| website            = {{URL|http://www.eenadu.net}} 
}}'''''Eenadu''''' ({{langx|te|ఈనాడు}}; {{literally|Today/This Land}})<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Shanti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abPsWgqrmMMC&dq=Eenadu&pg=PA11 |title=Gandhi Meets Primetime: Globalization and Nationalism in Indian Television |date=2010-10-01 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-09166-7 |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref> is the largest circulated [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language daily newspaper In [[India]] predominantly distributed in the states of [[State of Andhra Pradesh|Andhra Pradesh]] and [[State of Telangana|Telangana]].<ref name="mruc">{{Cite web |title=IRS 2012 Q1 Topline Findings p. 11 |url=http://mruc.net/irs2012q1-topline-findings.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407092737/http://mruc.net/irs2012q1-topline-findings.pdf |archivedate=7 April 2014}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> It was founded by [[Ramoji Rao]] in 1974 in [[Visakhapatnam]] and has been a significant presence in Telugu journalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kumar |first=Shanti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abPsWgqrmMMC&dq=Eenadu&pg=PA11 |title=Gandhi Meets Primetime: Globalization and Nationalism in Indian Television |date=2010-10-01 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-09166-7 |pages=10 |language=en}}</ref> Ramoji Rao served as the chief editor until 2020.<ref name="ramojiexit" /> The newspaper has historically been supportive of the [[Telugu Desam Party]] and its leader [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]].

== Name ==
''Eenadu'' is a [[Polysemy|polysemic]] word which has two meanings in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] language {{Em dash}} "today/this day" and "this land".<ref name=":1" />

== History ==

===Early days in Visakhapatnam===
''Eenadu'' was launched from [[Visakhapatnam]] on 10 August 1974 by [[Ramoji Rao]], a businessman who had previously achieved success with Priya Pickles and Margadarsi [[Chit fund|Chitfunds]].{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|pp=193-194}} At that time, the ''[[Andhra Prabha]]'', owned by [[the Indian Express]] Group, was the leading regional newspaper.

Initially, the circulation of ''Eenadu'' was limited. When launched in the city of [[Visakhapatnam]], it was not able to sell more than 3,000 copies a week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bookmyadvertisement.com/newspaper-classifieds/Eenadu|title=Eenadu Classified Ad Booking Online|website=www.bookmyadvertisement.com|access-date=8 April 2020|archive-date=13 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513095248/https://www.bookmyadvertisement.com/newspaper-classifieds/Eenadu|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Eenadu'' found itself struggling to become a daily publication among publications. However, it was popular in certain regions and rivalry was still an issue. ''Eenadu'' hired a new set of directors to be part of its key decision and management group which drove it towards what it is today: the most highly circulated newspaper in the region.

=== Expansion to other regions ===
''Eenadu'' began with a print order of 4,000 copies, composed by hand and produced using a second-hand printing press. But by the time it was admitted into the [[Audit Bureau of Circulations (India)|Audit Bureau of Circulations]] in 1976, its circulation had already reached a readership of 48,000. By 1978, ''Eenadu'' surpassed ''Andhra Prabha''{{'}}s circulation and, by 1995, two other rivals ''[[Andhra Patrika]]'' and ''[[Udayam (newspaper)|Udayam]]'' folded, leaving ''Eenadu'' with over seventy-five percent of the audited circulation of Telugu dailies.

Its expansion has partially been attributed to its use of regional dialects, colloquialisms, idioms and sarcasm in its reporting, as well as colorful pictures with captions.<ref name="Kumar">{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNIVCgAAQBAJ&dq=Eenadu&pg=PA82 |last=Kumar |first=Shanti |chapter=Hollywood, Bollywood, Tollywood |title=Global Bollywood |editor-last1=Kavoori |editor-first1=Anandam P. |editor-last2=Punathambekar |editor-first2=Aswin |date=August 2008 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-4799-5 |page=82 |language=en |access-date=4 September 2023 |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310142416/https://books.google.com/books?id=eNIVCgAAQBAJ&dq=Eenadu&pg=PA82 |url-status=live }}</ref>

When ''Eenadu'' expanded to [[Hyderabad]] in 1975, it divided the city into target areas, recruited [[Paperboy|delivery boys]] three months in advance and handed out the paper freely for a week. During the 1980s, technology-enabled ''Eenadu'' to spread over larger areas beyond only the main cities. Earlier, it was difficult to manage even the three editions of the 1970s (the [[Visakhapatnam]], [[Vijayawada]] and Hyderabad editions) because the only communication facilities available to the publication at the time were the [[Telegraphy|telegram]], telephone, and [[teleprinter]], all of which had limited presence in rural Andhra Pradesh.

By 1979, the newspaper expanded to include ''Sitara'', a weekly film magazine, ''Vipula'', a monthly magazine with short stories, ''Chatura'', a monthly novel and ''[[Annadata (magazine)|Annadatha]]'', a farmer's monthly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/19790615-eenadu-soars-to-top-circulation-spot-among-andhra-pradesh-dailies-in-less-than-five-years-822126-2014-02-28|title=Eenadu soars to top circulation spot among Andhra Pradesh dailies in less than five years|website=India Today|date=28 February 2014 |access-date=3 April 2024|archive-date=3 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403030622/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/19790615-eenadu-soars-to-top-circulation-spot-among-andhra-pradesh-dailies-in-less-than-five-years-822126-2014-02-28|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the magazines stopped circulation in 2017 due to lack of demand in favour of web content.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telugu360.com/curtains-ramojis-magazines/|title=Curtains for Ramoji's Magazines.|date=4 November 2017|access-date=3 April 2024|archive-date=1 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601132736/https://www.telugu360.com/curtains-ramojis-magazines/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Political impact and TDP support ===
Support of the [[Telugu Desam Party]] (TDP) by ''Eenadu'' has been recorded since the party's foundation in 1982.{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|p=192}} This has been attributed to Ramoji Rao's disdain for the [[Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee|Congress government]], to the point that he planned to create a regional party on his own accord, and a personal rapport he formed with the party founder and leader [[N. T. Rama Rao]], who he had first doubted but eventually saw political potential in.<ref name="Caravan">{{cite web|first1=Praveen|last1=Donthi|date=30 November 2014|access-date=2022-05-30|title=How Ramoji Rao of Eenadu wrested control of power and politics in Andhra Pradesh|url=https://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/chairman-rao|website=The Caravan|archive-date=17 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517005221/https://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/chairman-rao|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Kandula|2021|p=37}} Another factor that has been cited is [[caste politics]], with both ''Eenadu'' and the TDP being perceived as [[Kamma (caste)|Kamma]]-oriented organisations and both Raos being Kammas themselves,<ref name="RoutledgeOBC">{{Cite book |title=The Routledge handbook of the other backward classes in India: thought, movements and development |date=2022 |isbn=978-1-003-15287-3 |location=Abingdon, Oxon |chapter=Telugu news media: The beginnings and growth |oclc=1266207904|last1=Simhadri |first1=Somanaboina |last2=Ramagoud |first2=Akhileshwari }}</ref>{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|p=194}} although this view has been challenged.{{sfn|Kandula|2021|pp=39-40}} During the [[1983 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|1983 elections]], the party and the paper formed a symbiotic relationship as ''Eenadu'' not only publicised, promoted and ran positive stories on Rama Rao's campaign, but also gave more direct support, such as utilising its network of journalists to inform and advise Rama Rao on local issues for his stops and designing party advertisements through Ramoji Rao's marketing agency. This coverage led to a massive increase in subscriptions, with ''Eenadu'' going from a circulation of 230,000 copies to 350,000 in the six months of Rama Rao's electoral campaign and becoming one of the state's most popular newspapers.{{sfn|Kandula|2021|pp=39-40}}<ref name="IT1983">{{cite web|first=Amarnath K.|last=Menon|date=February 15, 1983|access-date=2022-05-30|title=Of Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, Eenadu and Telugu Desam|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830215-of-cherukuri-ramoji-rao-eenadu-and-telugu-desam-770440-2013-07-29|website=India Today|archive-date=30 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530010415/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830215-of-cherukuri-ramoji-rao-eenadu-and-telugu-desam-770440-2013-07-29|url-status=live}}</ref> The TDP would go on to successfully sweep the election, making Rama Rao the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, and over half a million copies were printed of ''Eenadu'' to declare this victory.<ref name="IT1983"/> Reportedly, Ramoji Rao sent a bill to Rama Rao for 3 million (30 lakh) rupees for the assistance he had given to the campaign.<ref name="Caravan"/> In response, film personality [[Dasari Narayana Rao]] and industrialist [[Gireesh Kumar Sanghi]] would launch pro-Congress newspapers of their own and eventually become members of the [[Rajya Sabha]] on the Congress ticket.<ref name="RoutledgeOBC"/><ref>{{cite magazine|author=Amarnath K. Menon|date=December 2, 2013|access-date=2022-06-03|title=In one month, Telugu daily Udayam touches remarkable circulation figure of 2,24,000|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/media/story/19850315-in-one-month-telugu-daily-udayam-touches-remarkable-circulation-figure-of-224000-769855-2013-12-02|magazine=India Today|archive-date=27 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227213816/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/media/story/19850315-in-one-month-telugu-daily-udayam-touches-remarkable-circulation-figure-of-224000-769855-2013-12-02|url-status=live}}</ref>

When Rama Rao and his government faced crises and parliamentary revolts in the 1980s, ''Eenadu'' continually supported him and clamored for his restoration to power. Despite Rama Rao's growing unpopularity in the later part of the decade due to perceptions of failed promises, the paper refrained from criticising him before expressing some concerns about his leadership in response to his continued loss of public support and the Congress victory in the [[1989 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election]].{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|p=196}} In the 1990s, as fissures developed between Rama Rao and his son-in-law and prominent party leader [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]], ''Eenadu'' ultimately took Naidu's side, publishing mocking portrayals of Rama Rao depicting him as being manipulated by his new wife [[Lakshmi Parvathi]], and eventually played a key role in the internal party coup by supporting Naidu's power grab. This paved the way for Naidu to become the next chief minister and ensured a friendly relationship between the paper and his administration.{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|p=198}} During the reign of Congress governments, ''Eenadu'' went on the offensive and became their "chief critic"; both [[Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy]] and his son [[Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy]] would "fight back" during their time in power.{{sfn|Gundimeda|2017|p=199}} This took on multiple forms, from the 2004 investigation of Margadarsi for irregular financial practices to the launch of ''[[Sakshi (newspaper)|Sakshi]]'' in 2008 under Jagan Mohan Reddy's ownership as a "counter" to what his father, the CM at the time, claimed was "biased news" from traditionally TDP-supporting papers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Inukonda |first=Sumanth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40qxDwAAQBAJ&q=ysr%2520eenadu&pg=PT151 |title=Media, Nationalism and Globalization: The Telangana Movement and Indian Politics |date=2019-09-23 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-429-53564-2 |language=en |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923141635/https://books.google.com/books?id=40qxDwAAQBAJ&q=ysr%2520eenadu&pg=PT151 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Tata |first=Madhavi |date=2008-04-07 |title=We Are The News: YSR's son storms Andhra Pradesh with a 23-edition Telugu daily |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YjEEAAAAMBAJ&q=ysr%2520eenadu&pg=PA18 |magazine=Outlook |language=en |publisher=Outlook Publishing |pages=8–9 |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923141634/https://books.google.com/books?id=YjEEAAAAMBAJ&q=ysr%2520eenadu&pg=PA18 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Further publications ===
With the introduction of [[offset printing]], [[Phototypesetting|photocomposing]] software and computers, ''Eenadu'' was able to launch editions in smaller towns like [[Tirupati|Tirupathi]] in 1982. From the 1980s, the news editor of ''Eenadu'' oversaw an enormous local-based news gathering and disseminating organization from his Hyderabad office.

By the end of the 1980s, there were six substantial Telugu dailies running, and the business was highly competitive. In 1989 ''Eenadu'' introduced "district dailies ([[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] edition)" to carry its presence not only into [[List of districts in India|district]] towns like [[Rajahmundry|Rajamahendravaram]], [[Karimnagar]], [[Guntur]] and [[Adilabad]], but also ''[[taluka]]'' towns like [[Suryapet]] and [[Tadepalligudem]]. Each publication center required forty engineers to run its printing presses. ''Eenadu''{{'}}s district dailies were based on [[market research]] asserting that heavy local content would generate new groups of readers and boost [[advertising revenue]]. Currently, the district dailies print [[local news]] specifically for each major location in the area, thereby negating the need for any separate [[Local newspaper|local daily]]. Few special sections are published every day of the week.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eenadu Epaper|date=21 March 2023|url=https://www.nireh.org/eenadu-news-paper-today/|access-date=4 November 2022|archive-date=4 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104153008/https://www.nireh.org/eenadu-news-paper-today/|url-status=live}}</ref> To support the local tabloid dailies, ''Eenadu'' hired "[[Stringer (journalism)|stringers]]" working for the commission who coordinated their reporting with editors over the telephone and contracted [[Bus company|bus companies]] to transport their reports back to the district headquarters for publication. Additionally, to increase revenue, the newspaper recruited salespersons to convince local businesses to buy ad spots.<ref name="Kumar"/>

''Eenadu'' later ventured into other markets such as finance and [[chit fund]]s (e.g. Margadarsi chits), foods (Priya Foods), film production ([[Ushakiran Movies]]), film distribution (Mayuri Films), and television ([[ETV Network (India)|ETV]]). All the businesses are organized under the [[Ramoji Group]].

== Ownership ==
Eenadu newspaper is owned by Ushodaya Enterprises Private Limited, a part of [[Ramoji Group]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Ramoji Group |url=http://eenaduinfo.com/about_ram.htm |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Eenaduinfo.com |archive-date=19 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019054522/http://eenaduinfo.com/about_ram.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> As per the 2018 report of [[Reporters Without Borders|Media Ownership Monitor]], Ramoji Rao and family own 97.56% stake in Ushodaya Enterprises. In terms of individual ownership, Ramoji Rao holds 42.26%, his eldest son Cherukuri Kiron holds 28.36%, and his daughter-in-law Cherukuri Vijayeswari (wife of the deceased younger son, Cherukuri Suman) holds 25.38% shares in Ushodaya Enterprises.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who owns the media in India {{!}} Media Ownership Monitor |url=https://dataleads.co.in/pdf/india.mom-rsf.org-en.pdf |access-date=25 October 2022 |archive-date=21 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121061924/http://dataleads.co.in/pdf/india.mom-rsf.org-en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Circulation==
According to the [[Audit Bureau of Circulations (India)|Audit Bureau of Circulations]] for the H12022, Eenadu had a circulation of 1,223,862, ranked at [[List of newspapers in India by circulation|7th place among daily newspapers in India]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest Circulated Dailies, Weeklies & Magazines amongst Member Publications (across languages) |url=http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JJ%202022%20Highest%20Circulated%20%28across%20languages%29.pdf?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=te&_x_tr_hl=te&_x_tr_pto=tc&_x_tr_sch=http |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=Auditbureau |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408045534/http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JJ%202022%20Highest%20Circulated%20(across%20languages).pdf?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=te&_x_tr_hl=te&_x_tr_pto=tc&_x_tr_sch=http |url-status=live }}</ref> For Q2 2019, Eenadu ranks eighth among the most circulated Indian-language dailies with a circulation of 1,614,105.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Highest Circulated Dailies, Weeklies & Magazines amongst Member Publications (across languages) |url=http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JD%202019%20Highest%20Circulated%20(across%20languages).pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809010334/http://www.auditbureau.org/files/JD%202019%20Highest%20Circulated%20(across%20languages).pdf |archive-date=9 August 2020 }}</ref> Thus there was a loss of 24.18% [[Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in India|during COVID]].

==See also ==
* [[Sakshi (newspaper)|Sakshi]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite journal |last=Gundimeda |first=Sambaiah |date=July 24, 2017 |title=Caste, Media and Political Power in Andhra Pradesh: The Case of Eenadu |journal=History and Sociology of South Asia |language=en |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=192–203 |doi=10.1177/2230807517718308 |s2cid=155248634 |issn=2230-8075 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Kandula |first=Ramesh |publisher=[[Ebury Publishing|Ebury Press]] |title=[[Maverick Messiah|Maverick Messiah: A Political Biography of N.T. Rama Rao]] |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-670-09393-9 |location=Gurgaon, Haryana, India |oclc=1237107554 }}

== External links ==
* {{official website}}

{{Newspapers in India|Health Care=Bilingual (Telugu and English) Monthly}}

[[Category:Daily newspapers published in India]]
[[Category:Telugu-language newspapers]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1974]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in Hyderabad]]
[[Category:Ramoji Group]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in Vijayawada]]
[[Category:Telugu Desam Party]]