Drawn to Change: Image-Text Interplay in Indian Graphic Journalism

Abstract

This article introduces Indian graphic journalism by exploring the general dynamics of the interplay of text and sequential visual narrative within this medium. A close reading of a selected work—a graphic feature on the suicide of the Dalit student Rohith Vemula in 2016, published on the Indian news platform The Quint—shows that the genre's success is driven largely by three key factors: the accessibility of images, their captivating nature, and their ability to convey additional layers of meaning. An overview of the current landscape of Indian graphic journalism will contextualize the findings, emphasizing the diversity of genre within the format. The article demonstrates that graphic journalism spans various genres with reportage, feature stories, and opinion pieces standing out as the most prominent within the Indian context. Across these genres, the inherent subjectivity of the drawn image is employed deliberately to challenge dominant narratives and bring marginalized voices to the forefront, giving rise to diverse forms of “visual activism” and creating valuable archives of protest and social commentary.

Keywords

• Indian graphic journalism
• comics journalism
• visual activism
• Rohith Vemula
• Rash-traman