Why Manipur must recognise New Media An argument from the vantage point of Ukhrul Times
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Khathing Ronrei
A FRIEND from Imphal recently invited me to apply for the 2025 Best Editor’s Award, even sending me the application form. I had to decline politely. Ukhrul Times (ukhrultimes.com) is not affiliated with any journalists’ union in the State, be it in the hills or the valley, nor is it listed with the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), which reasons I will come to later.
Stepping up with the fast-changing, digitally driven age, across India and much of the North East States, Govts have come to accept the shift in journalism to new media ie, digital news. In Tripura, for instance, the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs formally empanels digital news outlets. Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Aru-nachal Pradesh, and Mizo- ram have all moved toward recognising or supporting online media through accreditation or advertising mechanisms.
Manipur, however, remains an exception. Digital media still is at a nascent stage and is yet to be accepted as an advanced form of journalism. What used to be published only in print form is now published online. Yet, new media is far from being considered “real journalism” in the traditional sense in the State; the publicity and advertising process still revolve almost entirely around traditional print and broadcast media. It would be only fair for the State to extend equal access to digital news organisations, which have emerged as vital platforms for communities otherwise left unheard. Why Manipur has not made such provisions remains a moot question.
It may also be noted that nearly all major media houses are concentrated in Imphal. For a State as diverse and geographically fragmented as Manipur, this valley centric media focus, unfortunately, sidelines voices from the hill districts.
When Ukhrul Times was founded in May 2020, the idea of new media, a digital-first newsroom, was still new to Manipur. The notion that a credible, community-driven news outlet could exist entirely online was largely untested. Ukhrul and Kamjong districts at that time had no dedicated news outlets, in print or television. The only local broadcast was a brief Tangkhul-language bulletin on All India Radio at 6.50 pm. Even the Aja Daily, the longest-running bilingual Tangkhul-English newspaper was irregular. So when Ukhrul Times was launched, it became the first full-fledged digital news platform from the hill region, built with the tools and sensibilities of modern journalism.
The Ukhrul Times today has a team strength of about 15, most of whom work voluntarily. We operate with no institutional or Governmental support. Many of our contributors have long journalistic backgrounds, yet they struggle to sustain themselves or support their families through their work. If independent journalists, who dedicate themselves to public service journalism are left without recognition or opportunity for the very fact that are associated with digital media, one must ask: who, then, will support them ?
In regions like ours, where only recently there is access to smartphones and reliable internet, it is not merely a question of quality content—Ukhrul Times has been consistent and firm in its reporting – but one of geography, infrastructure, and digital literacy. Yes, there is room for improvement, but that argument often overlooks a harsher truth: the acute shortage of resources and revenue that small, independent digital newsrooms face simply to stay afloat.
Much newer digital news outlets in Manipur operating in the hills and the valley face the same hurdles. Politics aside, it is the responsibility of the Government to identify the roadblocks, check the bottlenecks, clarify the criteria and standards for recognition, and ensure equal sus- tainable opportunities for journalists working in digital media, as almost all other States in NE India are implementing them.
To the reasons I alluded to earlier as to why most digital journalists are not enlisted in unions or associations affiliated with DIPR, lie in the rigidity of these very organisations. Several journalists, who have long worked with reputable State and National news organisations, despite their extensive work experience, find themselves excluded from the very structures meant to uphold the profession.
To choose independence, in our case, is not only a strategic choice but also a product of circumstances. Expecting a rural digital newsroom in the remotest part of the country sharing border with Myanmar, to sustain itself through subscriptions is like comparing a first-world media econo-my with a third-world one. The environment defines the limits of what is possible. In fact, it is disheartening to see some of Imphal’s reputed newspapers fade away. But their decline is not simply a story of changing technology, but also one of complacency and the reluctancy to evolve. The story of Manipur’s media is not just about survival. It is also about recognising the simple truth: the transition from print to digital. In a connected world, the only way forward is to evolve and embrace change. Published under special arrangements with Ukhrul Times
A FRIEND from Imphal recently invited me to apply for the 2025 Best Editor’s Award, even sending me the application form. I had to decline politely. Ukhrul Times (ukhrultimes.com) is not affiliated with any journalists’ union in the State, be it in the hills or the valley, nor is it listed with the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), which reasons I will come to later.
Stepping up with the fast-changing, digitally driven age, across India and much of the North East States, Govts have come to accept the shift in journalism to new media ie, digital news. In Tripura, for instance, the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs formally empanels digital news outlets. Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Aru-nachal Pradesh, and Mizo- ram have all moved toward recognising or supporting online media through accreditation or advertising mechanisms.
Manipur, however, remains an exception. Digital media still is at a nascent stage and is yet to be accepted as an advanced form of journalism. What used to be published only in print form is now published online. Yet, new media is far from being considered “real journalism” in the traditional sense in the State; the publicity and advertising process still revolve almost entirely around traditional print and broadcast media. It would be only fair for the State to extend equal access to digital news organisations, which have emerged as vital platforms for communities otherwise left unheard. Why Manipur has not made such provisions remains a moot question.
It may also be noted that nearly all major media houses are concentrated in Imphal. For a State as diverse and geographically fragmented as Manipur, this valley centric media focus, unfortunately, sidelines voices from the hill districts.
When Ukhrul Times was founded in May 2020, the idea of new media, a digital-first newsroom, was still new to Manipur. The notion that a credible, community-driven news outlet could exist entirely online was largely untested. Ukhrul and Kamjong districts at that time had no dedicated news outlets, in print or television. The only local broadcast was a brief Tangkhul-language bulletin on All India Radio at 6.50 pm. Even the Aja Daily, the longest-running bilingual Tangkhul-English newspaper was irregular. So when Ukhrul Times was launched, it became the first full-fledged digital news platform from the hill region, built with the tools and sensibilities of modern journalism.
The Ukhrul Times today has a team strength of about 15, most of whom work voluntarily. We operate with no institutional or Governmental support. Many of our contributors have long journalistic backgrounds, yet they struggle to sustain themselves or support their families through their work. If independent journalists, who dedicate themselves to public service journalism are left without recognition or opportunity for the very fact that are associated with digital media, one must ask: who, then, will support them ?
In regions like ours, where only recently there is access to smartphones and reliable internet, it is not merely a question of quality content—Ukhrul Times has been consistent and firm in its reporting – but one of geography, infrastructure, and digital literacy. Yes, there is room for improvement, but that argument often overlooks a harsher truth: the acute shortage of resources and revenue that small, independent digital newsrooms face simply to stay afloat.
Much newer digital news outlets in Manipur operating in the hills and the valley face the same hurdles. Politics aside, it is the responsibility of the Government to identify the roadblocks, check the bottlenecks, clarify the criteria and standards for recognition, and ensure equal sus- tainable opportunities for journalists working in digital media, as almost all other States in NE India are implementing them.
To the reasons I alluded to earlier as to why most digital journalists are not enlisted in unions or associations affiliated with DIPR, lie in the rigidity of these very organisations. Several journalists, who have long worked with reputable State and National news organisations, despite their extensive work experience, find themselves excluded from the very structures meant to uphold the profession.
To choose independence, in our case, is not only a strategic choice but also a product of circumstances. Expecting a rural digital newsroom in the remotest part of the country sharing border with Myanmar, to sustain itself through subscriptions is like comparing a first-world media econo-my with a third-world one. The environment defines the limits of what is possible. In fact, it is disheartening to see some of Imphal’s reputed newspapers fade away. But their decline is not simply a story of changing technology, but also one of complacency and the reluctancy to evolve. The story of Manipur’s media is not just about survival. It is also about recognising the simple truth: the transition from print to digital. In a connected world, the only way forward is to evolve and embrace change. Published under special arrangements with Ukhrul Times