Before India's independence, the Indian press functioned as a crusading agent for the freedom of the country. The newspapers then carried lengthy speeches of political leaders that served the purpose of ammunition. Thus, these demands of the freedom movement led the press to adopt a serious tone in its treatment. The fact that the newspaper had to function as the spearhead of the nationalistic movement left its mark on the profession as a whole.

As long as India was a dependent country, the press had to function as one entity to address arguments. After independence, however, the general consensus gradually lost its intensity, and the emphasis shifted from national to local problems. However, many newspapers till late 1950 still carried the format of lengthy and elaborate argumentation and political speeches of politicians. By 1965, sections of the press in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and elsewhere had turned themselves into provincial papers largely concerned with local problems.