Blitz (newspaper)

For Portuguese music magazine, started as newspaper, see Blitz (magazine).
Blitz
Type Weekly newspaper
Format tabloid
Founder(s) Russi Karanjia
Editor Russi Karanjia
Founded February 1, 1941
Language English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi
Ceased publication Mid 1990s
Headquarters Mumbai, India

Blitz, was a popular investigative weekly tabloid newspaper published and edited by Russi Karanjia from Bombay. It was India's first weekly tabloid started in 1941 focussed on investigative journalism and political news.[1] It was published in English, and with editions in Hindi, Urdu and Marathi languages.[2] It ceased publication several years before Karanjia's death in mid-1990s, although there were some attempts to revive it.

Started on February 1, 1941,[3] it was a pioneer in investigative journalism in India,[4] Cartoonist R. K. Laxman's early cartoons were published in Blitz as did Abu Abraham. Noted writer K. A. Abbas wrote popular column "Last Page", which ran for over 40 years.[3] P. Sainath, worked as deputy editor with Blitz for over a decade, before starting his career in writing for rural poverty and later winning the Magsaysay Award.[2]

Later in 1975 Blitz also started a film magazine, Cine Blitz, with, Karanjia's daughter Rita Mehta as its editor.[3] In 1983, criminal-politicians Gopal Rajwani and Pappu Kalani executed the brutal knife murder of the A V Narayan, sub-editor of Blitz.[5]

Karanjia founded a morning tabloid called The Daily for some years.[3] After reaching its peak in the 1980s, the Blitz dipped in the 1990s. Thereafter in 1996, Karl Mehta, then managing director and publisher, and Karanajia's son-in-law tied up with the London-based Daily Mirror group in a reciprocal agreement, which allowed it to publish, news from the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Independent and People magazine. At the time, liquor baron Vijay Mallya owned 8% stake in Blitz.[6]

Karanjia died in 2008, on the same day he started his newspaper.[2]

The Bangladesh tabloid with the same name is unrelated.

References

  1. The tabloid and the city, in Mumbai Fables, Gyan Prakash, Princeton University Press, 2010, p. 158-204
  2. 1 2 3 Kulkarni, Sudheendra (2008-02-02). "He launched Blitz on Feb 1, died on Feb 1-it's no coincidence". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "R.K. Karanjia: Living through the Blitz". The Hindu. February 6, 2008. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  4. "Russi Karanjia" 5 (6). Tehelka magazine. Feb 16, 2008. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  5. "Sena leader Gopal Rajwani shot dead". Rediff. January 25, 2000. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  6. Saira Menezes (May 29, 1996). "A Renewed Blitz". Retrieved 2014-05-01.


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