To strengthen the print media ecosystem, the Ministry of I&B  approves a revised rate structure for government advertisements.

The administration has made the decision to change the advertising charges by 26%. In the black and white advertisement, the media charges for print media per square centimeter for one lakh copies of daily newspapers have been raised by 26% to Rs. 59.68 from Rs. 47.40. The Committee’s suggestions regarding priority placement and premium prices for color ads have also been accepted by the government.

The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), a nodal media unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is tasked with conducting publicity campaigns on behalf of various Indian government ministries and departments through a variety of media outlets, including print media that have partnered with CBC for this purpose.

The Ministry last updated the rates for CBC’s print media ad releases on January 9, 2019, based on the recommendations of the 8th Rate Structure Committee (RSC), which were in effect for three years.

On November 11, 2021, the 9th Rate Structure Committee was established under the direction of AS&FA (I&B) to provide suggestions for changes to the rates for government advertisements in print media.

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS), All India Small Newspapers Association (AISNA), Small-Medium-Big Newspapers Society (SMBNS), and other stakeholders’ representations of small, medium, and large category newspapers were taken into consideration by the Committee during its proceedings from November 2021 to August 2023. The Committee also discussed the different factors that affect the rates of advertisements in print media, including wages, the rate of inflation, the trend of imported newsprint prices, processing costs, and WPI inflation in relation to newsprint. On September 23, 2023, the Committee turned in its recommendations.

Both the government and the media landscape will gain a number of important advantages from raising the rates for government advertisements in print media. Increased rates for government ads will give print media the crucial financial support they need, particularly in light of the recent cost increases and the competition from alternative media outlets. This can assist local news efforts, maintain operations, and uphold high standards of journalism. Print media may invest in greater content and better serve the public interest by increasing their financial stability.

The increase in ad rates may be consistent with more general patterns in media consumption. The government may more effectively target its communications strategies and ensure that they effectively reach citizens across a variety of platforms by acknowledging the importance of print media in a diverse media ecosystem.