The Impact of Mobile Media on Journalism in India: A Case Study of West Bengal

Mobile journalism is a participatory and democratic style of journalism that has grown in popularity over the past few years. A professional journalist composes, records, edits and publishes news articles on mobile devices with extensive multimedia capabilities. It is a crucial medium for inventive and experimental journalistic endeavours, and journalists can employ current multimedia technologies to get the required impact. Mobile phones make it feasible for news programmes and media to reach an audience that was previously inaccessible via print newspapers and other means. Most of the people who answered pointed out how easy it is to stay in touch with family and friends and how useful mobile phones are for getting medical help and doctor advice. Yet, a lack of understanding and enthusiasm for journalistic projects has led to a decline in the prevalence of mobile journalism and a rise in incarceration. This chapter addresses the rising popularity, challenges and status of mobile journalism to a great extent in West Bengal, India.