World Notices India’s
Falling Image of Press Freedom
Syed Ali Mujtaba
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. However, in India there is
nothing to celebrate about the freedom of press today. The Edelman report has
labeled the Indian media as the second most un-trusted institution in the world.
It is an online survey that covered 28 countries measuring their trust in the
four institutions of government, business, NGO and media in doing what is right.
The Edelman report survey showed that the trust of people in
media was an all-time low and the credibility and motive of these institutions
have been under question. A total of 28
countries were surveyed, out of which Indian media was seen as the second most
corrupt country. It is not a surprise because the way “Godi media” has taken
over the reins of entire press in India; the distrust of the people is bound to
happen and it has sharply increased in recent times.
Another international body “Reporters Without Borders,” in
its annual World Press Freedom Index has said that India was now 138th-ranked
in the world out of 180 countries measured, down to two positions since 2017
and lower than countries like Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. Interestingly
when the index was started in 2002, India was ranked 80th out of 139 countries
surveyed by the Paris-based organization.
Pew Research Center another international body in its recent
survey has said that exposure to false or incorrect information is a key
concern for people in 11 emerging economies and India is one among them.
India’s falling image of press freedom is ringing alarm bells
and there are reasons for it. If we look at the television, print media news or
news on the social media, all have a tainted outlook.
Television News
The television news channels have turned out to be a gossip
box, with people ranting nonsense 24 x 7. Anchors like Arnab Goswami, Sudhir
Chaudhary, Deepak Chaurasia, Amish Devgan, Anjana Om Kashyap, Rohit Sardana,
Rajat Sharma etc which are household names on television screens. However,
watching them for a while one gets the impression that they have their own axe
to grind. They are ‘rental ponies’ who have no clue of the ethical parameters of
journalism. They have never read Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration
of Human Rights that talk about freedom of press.
The so called mainstream television media is the most corrupt
wing of the press in India. On television what is going on in the name of
journalism, is hate mongering, agenda blabbering and propaganda of the ruling
elite. There is absolutely no ethics and responsibilities seen in the news
presentations. The news anchors have crossed all boundaries of ethical
parameters and care two hoots about journalistic professionalism.
Print Media
Like television media, print media again is a capital
intensive industry. It needs money, especially to compete with the dazzling
HD-quality TV channels and it cannot survive on subscriptions alone. At a time
when the ad revenues are going to the television channels, the print media has
either to pander to business cartels or become pro establishment. This is because
if the government cut their ads they may become bankrupt. So in order to remain
afloat print media is indulging in unethical journalistic practices.
Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd, which owns the Times of India,
is reported to have asked celebrities and the wealthy to pay for favorable
coverage. They have offered a “private treaty” agreement, which accepts an
equity stake in a company in return for favorable coverage.
There are other print media companies indulging in similar malpractices,
demanding ads for giving them positive coverage. The commodification of news is
big business in India and this done across the different media platforms.
Social Media
The Pew Research Center survey shows that social media though
most popular source of information is the most unreliable source which can be
manipulated by the politicians and political parties. Many social media users
report that they are being regularly exposed to misinformation when using this
platform.
The digital
connectivity has divided the people in their political opinions. This is because
the information they get on social media are more hateful than the content they
receive from any other source. These problems
are further getting compounded with the growth in the number of the users of social
media in India.
At the end of 2019, the number of social media users in India
was estimated at 356 million. On average, Indian users spend 2.4 hours on
social media a day (slightly below the global average of 2.5 hours a day).
So to say that the Indian media has completely lost its
credibility won’t be incorrect. There is very little diversity in the range of
social and political views expressed in the Indian media. Indian media is now
endangered by business interests. There is no freedom of press or what is
called independent media. The entire media is either under the influence of
corporate cartels or government control.
The low and falling quality of Indian journalism is evident
with Cobrapost.com expose in 2018. Its undercover reporters approached several
media houses and offered a payment of up to INR 500 crore in cash to promote
Hindutva ideology for political gains. According to Cobrapost; the owners as
well as the senior executives of these media houses consented to engage in
campaigns to induce communal discord and polarize the Indian electorate. This
expose not only tarred the reputation of Indian media but also tarnished the
country’s reputation of freedom of press in India.
All said and done this is a very dangerous trend developing
in the country. Indian journalism has a long history of professionalism, the
editors and not the business head decided the content of the news. The
editorials upheld the dignity of the freedom of press and operated within the
ethical parameters of journalism. But in recent years, what is seen Indian media is reduced to
caricatures of lap dogs and the barking dogs of ether corporate houses or
Hindutva forces.
It is in this context, April 3 the World Press Day has come
as a wake up call. It raises the awareness of freedom of the press in India. It
also reminds the journalists of their rights and duties. It also reminds the
owners of the media houses that news is not a commodity. It also reminds the
governments to respect and uphold the dignity of the freedom of press.
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Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be
contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
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