Eenadu

About Eenadu

Dinamalar is a Tamil-language daily newspaper founded on 6 September 1951 by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer. Headquartered in Chennai, it is one of the leading Tamil dailies, with a certified daily circulation of 693,742 copies as of April 2023. Printed in ten cities across Tamil Nadu plus Bengaluru, it has served Tamil readers for more than seven decades with a reputation for detailed district-level reporting and a strong editorial voice.

The paper was founded by a freedom fighter, social philosopher and self-made journalist who believed in truthful, up-to-date news for the people of Tamil Nadu. From its beginnings in Thiruvananthapuram to its present position as a major Chennai-headquartered daily, Dinamalar's journey mirrors the growth of Tamil journalism itself.

Founding by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer

Dinamalar was founded on 6 September 1951 at Thiruvananthapuram by T. V. Ramasubbaiyer, described as a patriot, freedom fighter, socially conscious philosopher and self-made champion journalist. Ramasubbaiyer founded the paper with the conviction that Tamil Nadu needed a newspaper delivering truthful and current news about the state, the country and the world.

The choice of Thiruvananthapuram, then in Travancore-Cochin, reflected the founder's southern roots. In 1957 the paper's operations were moved to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, bringing it into the heart of the Tamil press market, and it later established its headquarters in Chennai.

Building a Tamil Nadu Network

From Tirunelveli the paper expanded steadily across Tamil Nadu. Today Dinamalar is printed in ten cities in the state: Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Nagercoil, Pondicherry, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli and Vellore, as well as in Bengaluru, Karnataka, serving Tamil readers outside the state.

The multi-city printing network allows the paper to carry detailed district-level reporting, a particular strength. Readers in each edition city get news that reflects their district's concerns, layered over state, national and international coverage.

Circulation and Readership

The Audit Bureau of Circulations certified Dinamalar's average daily circulation at 693,742 copies as of April 2023, with earlier audits recording 689,773 for January to June 2022. It ranks among the top Tamil dailies by circulation, behind Daily Thanthi, and commands a loyal readership across Tamil Nadu.

The paper's e-paper has been notably successful, with the group reporting more than two million e-paper subscribers, reflecting strong digital adoption among Tamil readers. Its website dinamalar.com is among the most visited Tamil news portals, drawing tens of millions of visits a month.

Editorial Character

Dinamalar covers Tamil Nadu, India and world news across politics, business, finance, cinema, sports, cricket, weather, stock markets and gold and silver rates. The paper has established a reputation as a quality newspaper, respected for its journalism and its detailed coverage of the state's districts.

The paper's chief editor is R. Lakshmipathy. Its editorial stance has been the subject of public debate: a 2018 undercover investigation by Cobrapost reported executives speaking of promoting Hindutva and the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party, a claim the paper's leadership has addressed in the context of its editorial independence.

Supplements and Features

Dinamalar has long invested in supplements to serve different reader segments. Its children's magazine Siruvar Malar, launched in 1984-85 and supplied free with the Friday edition, became very popular among children of all ages, with Friday circulation rising significantly after its introduction. The paper's symbol, the lotus, appears between the words of the supplement's name.

The paper carries regular features on cinema, a dominant interest in Tamil Nadu, alongside business pages, astrology, education and women's content, giving readers a full-service daily.

Digital Leadership

Dinamalar was an early mover among Tamil dailies in building a major digital presence. Its website dinamalar.com publishes breaking news around the clock in Tamil, with sections on state politics, cinema, sports, business and world news, and its e-paper replicates the print editions for digital subscribers.

The digital operation has made the paper accessible to the global Tamil diaspora, from the Gulf to Southeast Asia to the West, extending a 1951 print brand to readers who may never see the physical newspaper.

Place in the Tamil Press

In Tamil Nadu's competitive newspaper market, Dinamalar holds a distinctive position: older than most of its rivals, with roots in the freedom movement through its founder, and known for the depth of its district reporting. It competes with Daily Thanthi, Dinakaran and Dinamani, each with its own strengths, and has maintained its readership through editorial consistency and regional focus.

Seven Decades of Tamil Journalism

Seventy-five years after T. V. Ramasubbaiyer founded it in Thiruvananthapuram, Dinamalar remains a fixture of Tamil mornings, from Chennai to Nagercoil to Bengaluru. Its journey from a southern startup to a multi-city daily with millions of digital readers reflects both the founder's vision of truthful journalism and the enduring appetite of Tamil readers for news in their own language.

Ramasubbaiyer's Philosophy

T. V. Ramasubbaiyer founded Dinamalar as a patriot, freedom fighter and socially conscious philosopher who believed journalism was a form of public service. A self-made journalist, he built the paper on the principle that readers deserved truthful, up-to-date news about Tamil Nadu, India and the world, politics, business, finance, cinema, sports and markets alike. That philosophy of comprehensive, honest reporting remains the paper's stated creed more than seven decades later.

The Move to Tirunelveli and Chennai

The 1957 shift of operations from Thiruvananthapuram to Tirunelveli placed the paper in the centre of the Tamil press heartland, closer to the readers and printing networks that would sustain its growth. From Tirunelveli it expanded across the state, eventually establishing its headquarters in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu and the centre of its media industry. Each move tracked the paper's growth from a southern startup to a statewide daily.

Cinema and Popular Culture

In Tamil Nadu, cinema is not merely entertainment but a central force in public life, and Dinamalar's coverage reflects that. The paper devotes extensive space to film news, reviews and celebrity coverage, serving readers for whom the film industry is a daily interest. Its children's supplement Siruvar Malar, launched in 1984-85 with the lotus symbol of the paper, showed the same instinct for popular engagement, building young readers with content made for them.

District Reporting

The paper's hallmark is detailed district-level reporting from its ten Tamil Nadu printing centres. Correspondents in Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Nagercoil, Pondicherry, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli and Vellore feed local news into each edition, giving readers coverage of their own district's politics, courts, schools and civic life that a Chennai-only paper could not match.

Controversies

Dinamalar's journalism has attracted controversy. A 2018 undercover investigation by Cobrapost reported the paper's director Lakshmipathy Adimoolam speaking of the family's alignment with Hindutva ideology and the BJP, remarks that drew wide attention and debate about the paper's editorial stance. In July 2021 the paper published a report claiming that western Tamil Nadu would be carved into a separate union territory called Kongu Nadu, a claim that proved misleading and drew criticism. The episodes illustrate the scrutiny that comes with the paper's influence in Tamil Nadu's polarised media environment.

The Epaper Success

Dinamalar's e-paper has been one of the notable digital successes among Tamil dailies, with the group reporting more than two million e-paper subscribers. The digital replica of the print editions, available alongside the continuously updated dinamalar.com, has allowed the paper to monetise digital readership while serving Tamils worldwide who want the familiar layout of their morning paper on a screen.