For Basant Rajur, the survival of news companies in the world’s most competitive media market depends on one bold shift: moving from reporting the news to carrying values.

Speaking during this week’s INMA Webinar, Winning Over Young Audiences with Jagran Prakashan, the senior vice president of strategy, grant, and business development at Jagran Prakashan, argued that media cannot afford to ignore the needs of younger generations because they are not only the future readers but also the future shapers of society.

“Young people are the future readers, leaders, and innovators. And if their opinions are not firmly grounded, it will become a challenge for society,” he said. “The content we provide must be relevant, or they will simply go elsewhere for their information.”

According to Rajur, India’s newspaper industry circulates more than 50 million copies daily, but faces the same challenge as outlets worldwide: youth who live on their phones, consume news through social platforms, and prefer instant, interactive formats. Traditional editions filled with crime and politics risk alienating them. Parents themselves, Rajur noted, often hesitate to hand over newspapers to children because of the negativity in the headlines.

That, he argued, is why newspapers must reimagine themselves. “As newspapers, we must reorient ourselves from merely carrying news to becoming carriers of values,” he said. “It is not only about reporting problems but about offering optimism and hope.”

Recommendations for engaging young readers

Rajur laid out a set of principles for how media can build lasting trust with younger audiences:

• Shift from news to values: Journalism must do more than highlight problems; it should also inspire hope and encourage ethical reflection.
  

• Make content relevant: Balance political and crime-heavy coverage with issues that resonate, such as climate change, energy literacy, and digital behaviour.
  

• Engage early: Children and teenagers should encounter media in positive ways, since habits and values formed at this stage tend to last a lifetime.
  

• Encourage debate, not dogma: Newspapers should present dilemmas that invite critical discussion rather than ready-made answers.
  

• Meet youth where they are: Mobile devices and social platforms are non-negotiable spaces for engagement.
  

• Give ownership in politics: Youth parliaments and participatory initiatives can turn politics into something inclusive instead of distant.

• Commit long-term: Consistency matters more than one-off projects; young audiences must see media as a steady partner.

One of Jagran’s most ambitious efforts to reach younger audiences is Sanskar Shala, or “School of Values,” launched in 2012. At first, the programme focused on teaching children virtues such as respect, forgiveness, and commitment. Over time, it expanded to global themes like energy literacy, climate change, and digital behaviour — topics that reflect the dilemmas young people already face in their daily lives.

The programme works through partnerships with schools, reaching more than 1,400 institutions and over a million students. Activities include assemblies, workshops, and co-created content that eventually appears in newspapers. Each story or lesson ends not with a solution but with a moral dilemma, leaving children to discuss possible outcomes.

“This is a period when opinions are being formed, and they often last a lifetime,” Rajur said. “By aligning content with their evolving mindsets, we encourage young people to think critically and engage ethically.”

The initiative’s underlying idea is simple: By integrating newspapers into the classroom in ways that feel meaningful, young readers not only learn values but also begin to see journalism as part of their own world.

If School of Values engages children, the Jagran Youth Parliament initiative targets older readers, those aged 18 to 24, on the cusp of adulthood and civic participation. The programme trains participants in parliamentary procedures, prepares them to debate issues, and even allows them to propose amendments to bills.

More than 500 young people across Indian cities have taken part, generating hundreds of pages of content reported in newspapers. The discussions are not simulations alone: They bring community concerns into public view and, in some cases, to the attention of policymakers.

The youth parliament also incorporates digital elements. A mobile app tracks participants’ progress, measures democratic awareness, and offers real-time feedback. By blending traditional institutions with modern technology, the initiative helps young people see politics not as a “dirty game” but as a space where their voices matter.

“Youth need to be informed participants in democracy, not passive consumers of partisan noise,” Rajur said. “By reflecting their voices in the newspaper, we give them a sense of ownership.”

The long game

Rajur’s message was clear: Newspapers that fail to build habits and trust among young readers will lose not just circulation, but their relevance as institutions. Reaching youth requires more than clever headlines or trendy digital campaigns; it calls for a patient, values-driven approach that combines optimism with critical engagement.

“The most important lesson is consistency,” he said. “Engagement with young audiences cannot be a one-time intervention. It must be a long-term commitment if we want to create a confident and principled generation.”

Through initiatives like School of Values and the Jagran Youth Parliament, Jagran Prakashan has shown how news companies can move beyond the role of chroniclers to become active partners in shaping the next generation. For Rajur, this is not just a business strategy but a societal obligation — one that determines whether journalism will continue to play a central role in democracy.

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