National Herald Newspaper Allegedly Received More Funds From Karnataka Govt Between 2023-24, Say Reports

The National Herald has reportedly received more funding from the Karnataka government than any other national daily over the past two years. This substantial allocation of taxpayers' money to a publication aligned with a political party has sparked concerns regarding fiscal transparency.

Despite its limited readership, the National Herald emerged as the leading recipient of the state’s advertisement budget, surpassing well-established national newspapers, reports said. Data suggests that in many cases, leading dailies received less than half the revenue allotted to the National Herald.

Records indicate that ₹1.90 crore was disbursed to the National Herald in 2023–24, followed by an allocation of ₹99 lakh in 2024–25. Notably, in the 2024–25 period, the publication reportedly accounted for nearly 69% of the state’s ₹1.42 crore total expenditure on national newspaper advertising, while several major outlets received no funding at all.