This book provides a fresh perspective on the importance of the Hindi media in India's political, social and economic transformation with evidence from the countryside and the cities. Accessed by more than forty percent of the public, it continues to play an important role in building political awareness and mobilising public opinion. Instead of viewing the media as a singular entity, this book highlights its diversity and complexity to understand the changing dynamics of political communication that is shaped by the interactions between the news media, political parties and the public, and how various media forms are being used in a rapidly transforming environment. The book offers insights into how print, television, and digital media work together with, rather than in isolation from, each another to grasp the complexities of the emerging hybrid media environment and the future of mobilisation.

‘The highly complex relationships between media and politics are central to India's future. Taberez Ahmed Neyazi's new book provides a convincing and multi-faceted account of these relationships by focusing on how the hybrid integration of print, television, and digital media is reshaping how power is exercised in the world's largest democracy. A valuable addition to the literature.'

Andrew Chadwick - Loughborough University

‘Theoretically sharp, empirically rich and well written, this book provides a remarkably perceptive analysis of the role of the Hindi media on India's democratic transformation. The issues raised by the book are of great importance given the changing dynamics of political communication in a rapidly shifting media environment and government-media relations.'

Zoya Hasan - Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

‘In this important book, Taberez Ahmed Neyazi shows how Hindi-language media, for all their imperfections, play a powerful role as mobilising agents in India's democracy. It is a significant contribution not only for the light it sheds on media with far greater reach than the English-language outlets of the Indian elite, but also for its attention to the complex interactions between political parties, news organisations (plus proprietors), and their numerous and diverse publics.'

Rasmus Nielsen - University of Oxford

‘Neyazi provides a treasure-trove of evidence, analysis and insights on political communication, media and mobilisation in India – from colonial rule to recent grassroots protests and political campaigning. With innovative research and theory, the book shines a spotlight on India's diverse political communication context in which traditional and digital media continue to grow while forty percent of the country's 1.3 billion population are under the age of 25. The remarkable rise of Hindi news media is documented here – from the political economy of the press to the future of political communication and mobilisation as internet access grows. This impressive book is a must-read for those interested in the dynamics of political communication in the world's largest democracy.'

Holli A. Semetko - Emory University, Georgia

'… offers a fascinating account of theoretical and empirical perspectives on political communication in India, especially with reference to the Hindi media.'

Ram Awtar Yadav Source: Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly