Tanzil Asif, a Jamia Millia Islamia alumnus and founder of Bihar-based hyper-local news portal Main Media, was recently invited to deliver a talk at University of Michigan in the United States of America.
Tanzil spoke at the 5th edition of the Social Media and Society in India (SMSI) 2025 international conference, where he addressed the theme: Hyper-local and Rural Journalism in India: Evidence from Bihar. In his 20-minute session, he highlighted the urgent need to support and sustain hyper-local journalism, especially in under-reported regions like Bihar’s Seemanchal.
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He outlined the unique challenges faced by rural reporters — most notably, the constant threat to their safety.
“Everyone in the area knows the journalist’s house, family, and movement. There’s no anonymity,” he said, pointing to the everyday risks faced by local reporters.
Tanzil also called attention to the rising vilification of local minorities in regions like Seemanchal, often fuelled by a mix of biased national media narratives and right-wing social media campaigns. He stressed how platforms like Main Media play a crucial role in countering these narratives through evidence-based, community-rooted journalism. Tanzil’s talk was well-received and highly appreciated by participants from around the world.
Tanzil completed his schooling from Jamia Senior Secondary School (morning) and went on to pursue a BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia.
But his passion of journalism took him to the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, from where he completed his PG Diploma in journalism.
During his engineering days at Jamia, he worked as a campus reporter for the Okhla Times, a hyper-local portal that has been active since 2011 in Okhla, a locality in Delhi that lacks basic amenities. It was here that he learned the nitty-gritty of community journalism.
During his brief time in mainstream media, Tanzil felt constrained and realised he was unable to highlight the important issues affecting people. As a result, he decided to leave and create a platform where he could give a voice to the marginalised. Despite the risks involved, he chose to walk an uncharted path, with no corporate backing.
In 2018, he said good-bye to mainstream media to start his own venture, a hyper-local digital newsroom focused on the Seemanchal-Kosi belt of Bihar and parts of neighbouring districts in West Bengal.
Over the years, Tanzil’s hard work and commitment to highlighting local issues have earned him a strong reputation in India. His work has appeared in publications like The Wire, The Quint, Outlook Magazine, Two Circles, and The Milli Gazette and others. In 2021, he was one of six Indian journalists chosen by YouTube for its Creator Programme for Independent Journalists. He was also a speaker at Josh Talks, an engineer, and a part-time poet.
Tanzil has become a role model for many young aspiring entrepreneur journalists who wish to pursue fearless and independent journalism.
Tanzil’s dedication to highlighting important stories from underrepresented regions, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrates that one can succeed while remaining committed to integrity, independence, and a passion for social impact in journalism.
