t , ▁the ▁newspaper ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁critic ▁of ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁Governor ▁General ▁Warren ▁H ast ings . ▁The ▁newspaper ▁was ▁important ▁for ▁its ▁provoc ative ▁journal ism ▁and ▁its ▁fight ▁for ▁free ▁expression ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁New sp aper ▁history ▁H icky ▁began ▁publication ▁of ▁H icky ' s ▁Beng al ▁Gazette ▁on ▁ 2 9 ▁January ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁having ▁first ▁printed ▁a ▁prospect us ▁announ cing ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁begin ▁printing ▁a ▁newspaper . ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁printing ▁a ▁newspaper ▁in ▁India ▁had ▁been ▁flo ated ▁twelve ▁years ▁earlier ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Advent urer ▁William ▁Bol ts , ▁but ▁H icky ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁execute ▁the ▁concept . ▁H icky ' s ▁newspaper ▁was ▁printed ▁once ▁a ▁week ▁on ▁Saturday , ▁and ▁re ta iled ▁for ▁Re ▁ 1 . ▁Its ▁circul ation ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁around ▁four ▁hundred ▁copies ▁per ▁week , ▁although ▁possibly ▁more . ▁ ▁H icky ▁first ▁maintained ▁a ▁neutral ▁editing ▁policy ▁( his ▁s log an ▁was ▁" Open ▁to ▁all ▁Part ies , ▁but ▁In fl uen ced ▁by ▁None ") ▁but ▁after ▁he ▁learned ▁that ▁compet itors ▁with ▁t ies ▁to ▁the ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁were ▁int ending ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁rival ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁India ▁Gazette , ▁he ▁changed ▁his ▁editor ial ▁st ance . ▁H icky ▁accused ▁an ▁East ▁India ▁Company ▁employee , ▁S ime on ▁D roz , ▁of ▁supporting ▁the ▁India ▁Gazette ▁as ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁H icky ' s ▁ref us