Balaknama was launched in September 2003[2] by Childhood Enhancement through Training and Action (Chetna), an Indian charity, with the organisation Badhte Kadam (Hindi for "Stepping Forward") to report on the estimated 80,000 street children living in Delhi.[1] It launched with just 35 reporters,[3] and initially published as a quarterly newspaper.[4]
In October 2013, Balaknama had only four pages, with plans to increase the page count to eight. The paper published a 10th anniversary edition in colour for the first time.[5] That November, its story was made into a TV documentary titled "Slumkid Reporters". The documentary aired on Channel 4.[6]
In November 2014, the paper published its first English edition. Its lead story on child beggars being forced to drag dead bodies garnered significant attention in Delhi.[7] Its circulation was 4,000 in that year.[8]
In 2015, the paper's circulation increased to 5,500. By that point, its page count had increased to eight.[8]
By December 2015, the paper's network had expanded to seven cities across India, with over 10,000 children working for the paper. It was covering events in a wide range of cities, including Agra, Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi, Mathura and Noida, and its readership was believed to be in the tens of thousands.[3] The paper had 14 regular reporters in Delhi itself and many others in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, with illiterate children contributing by dictating their stories to other reporters.[9] In the same month, India Today called Balaknama the "world's unique newspaper for and by street and working children".[10]
In January 2016, the number of regular reporters fell to five due to a lack of funds for the paper. In response, it started relying on the concept of a batooni reporter, who narrates their stories for a writer to write down.[11] In April, Balaknama's team consisted of about 60 reporters. By that point, it had shifted to publishing monthly editions.[12]
In March 2022, it published its 100th edition.[4] As of February 2023, the paper's circulation consists of over 5,000 Hindi and 3,000 English copies per month.[2]
Coverage
Balaknama reports on the lives of street children, exploring issues like sexual abuse, child labour and police brutality,[3][1] and highlighting stories of hope and positive change.[2] The paper has also campaigned to provide street children with identity cards for proof of residence.[1]
In June 2015, the paper reported on a child marriage. In response, local activists held protests, forcing the police to intervene to prevent the marriage from taking place.[12]
In November 2015, the paper's reporters conducted a survey of children living on Delhi's streets, finding that as many as 1,320 children were living on the streets. A reporter for the paper said, "We wanted to tell the police and the government that a proper count of street children was possible. If we can do it with limited resources, so can they when they have all the manpower and resources available to them."[8]
In 2016, the paper reported that street children were being enlisted by police to remove dead bodies from railway tracks in Agra. Mainstream coverage of the report led to a public outcry, with the National Committee for Protection of Child Rights taking action against the police.[13][2]
Operation
Balaknama is completely staffed by children who live and work on the streets,[3] and is edited by Chetna volunteers.[9] The children receive training as reporters and editors.[8] About 90 reporters gather and send news stories to four writers and editors, who then verify and write the stories. Editorial meetings are held every month.[1]
Balaknama publishes in eight-page tabloid format.[1] The copy is first written in Hindi and then translated to English.[12] Funding is provided by Chetna, and through private donations and advertising.[1]
In 2017, the children running the paper started publishing articles to over 5,000 readers using WhatsApp and email.[14] In October 2022, the paper announced that it would be launching a YouTube channel in 2023.[15]