The role played by the press is very significant in the national awakening and the fight of India towards independence by spreading ideas and information. But it was the British colonial authorities who placed extreme coercion on vernacular as well as English press in order to discourage opposition and political awareness. There was the imposition of coercive laws, censorship and punitive measures to restrain the press, which was considered as an impediment to colonial rule.

Laws of the press set forth by Britain in the 19 th and the 20 th century can help people to discover the relations between state power and civil liberties. The reaction of the nationalistic movement to these censorship measures illustrates the struggle that is going on to have freedom of expression and this assists us to comprehend the growth of the press as the Fourth Estate in free India.

Origin and Development

• Olden Times: The first traces of press-like communication traced in India are dated regarding the writings found on walls and rocks such as the edicts of emperor Ashoka during the Kalinga war, which can be found today as well.
• Ancient Styles of Writing: As the papers and writing materials emerged, the earliest newsletters appeared in the Mughal period. These manuscript newspapers became the main source of knowledge of historical events.
• East India Company influence: Sharing of these newsletters must have motivated James Augustus Hickey to establish the Bengal Gazette in 1780.

The Press and British Administrative policies

• Portuguese and East India Company: The Portuguese made their initial printing press in Goa in 1557 and East India Company made their initial printing press in 1674 in Bombay. 
• But the growth of newspapers in India was hindered by such factors as mass illiteracy, poverty and repressive laws on press.

Development of Press Acts in India

Early Newspapers in India: Founders and Features

Post-Independence Era

• Press (Objectionable Matters) Act (1951): Replaced via abuse with the Press (Objectionable Materials) 1957.
• Press council of India ( PCI ):  set up in 1966 to protect the right of press freedom and freedom of journalism.

Contemporary Press

• Digital Transformation: Digital online platforms and social media have transformed the way people consume news, in that it is limited and less time consuming.
• Citizen Journalism: Social media has also enabled common persons to post news and has questions on its reliability.

Challenges 

• Misinformation: The negative effect of sharing fake news discourages trust. The media should be more concerned with checks and verifications.
• Economic Issues: New media jeopardizes traditional economics of traditional media, which affects the level of journalism.
• Press Freedom: Striking the right balance between government and national security on the one hand and press freedom on the other is always a dilemma.

Way Forward

• Maintain Ethical Standards: Assuring fairness, accuracy and impartiality.
• Appeal to the Audience: These are digital tools used to prompt participation by the audience.
• Adopt Media Literacy: Train people to be skeptic of news and use it to be able to take down misinformation.

Conclusion

Media has played a significant role in the building of the India nation including the anti colonialist struggle to develop after independence. It has to face up to the digital age because it needs to ensure that it fulfills its duties in order to support its status as an avenue of democracy.