INDIAN MEDIA: IS IT IN ITS DARKEST AGE?

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The influence of the media grows beyond human reach. Being the fourth pillar of democracy, it possesses the responsibility of presenting the facts and to be fair and impartial. However, in recent times, concerns have risen about the practices of certain segments of Indian media, highlighting a pattern of subtle news suppression that has raised eyebrows among both the citizens and certain organisations. Recent news demonstrates that the Indian media has been confronted with several challenges that jeopardise its functions. It has been accused of propagating hate speeches through its various panels and instigating violence indirectly in the name of religion and social evils. Poor reporting in sensitive cases is one the major issues that journalism in India is currently facing. This has highly reduced the credibility of the Indian media.

With time, the methods of the media in showing its views, viewpoints, evidence and knowledge has expanded manifolds. Nowadays, there are a variety of ways including youtube channels, blogs, magazines, mobile applications and other digital platforms which has eased the way in which information spreads which has in turn made the role of media in shaping the perception of audience more crucial than ever. As citizens become more cognizant of these dynamics, demands for greater media integrity, unbiased reporting and ethical journalism across the, calling for re-evaluation of media practices and a renewed commitment to upholding the principles of a transparent and independent press.

ACCUSATIONS FACED BY THE MEDIA

Paid News stands as one of the most controversial, yet serious challenges faced by the media. It is a fundamental duty of the media to be just and fair, since a number of people watch it and eventually shape their opinions based on it. If in this case the media chooses to show news biasedly, the citizens would be deprived of any real news which degrades the society as a whole. Secondly, the mode of payment used herein violates the tax and election spending laws. It is a vital issue during elections because the media has a direct influence on voters.

The second challenge faced by the Indian media is handful ownership of media. Transparency in the inner workings of Indian Media organisations is reducing which results in jeopardization of the media's reputation. A majority of the Indian media outlets are handled and operated either by people with political background or high-end businessmen having their political influence inclined towards one particular political party. For instance, Zee network which includes channels such as Zee news, Wion etc. is owned by Subhash Chandra who is a BJP member of Parliament. Ravish Kumar resigned from NDTV in December 2022, around the time the Adani Group acquired a significant stake in the company. This acquisition sparked concerns about press freedom in India, as the Adani Group is close to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar was known for his critical reporting and holding the government accountable. He even referred to some media outlets seen as favourable to the government as "Godi Media" (lapdog media). There wasn't an official statement about his reasons for leaving, but it happened close to the change in ownership, and many observers linked the two events.

Hence, government owned media shall not be considered to be independent from government intervention. As a result, the reliability of such news channels may be questioned.

Attack on Journalists is one the most vital problems faced by the Indian media. In recent years, Indian journalists have been increasingly prone to attacks, violents threats etc which are imposed by the government.

Here's a breakdown of the different types of attacks:

Physical Violence:

Recent Example: Jyotiranjan Mohapatra, a reporter with Bada Khabar TV, was allegedly chased and attacked in February 2023 for criticising the Prime Minister.

Data: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented over a dozen journalists being injured or harassed during the 2020 Delhi riots.

Legal Harassment and Surveillance:

Spyware: Amnesty International reported on the Indian government's use of Pegasus spyware to target journalists in December 2023.

Arrests: International Press Institute (IPI) documented arrests of journalists on criminal charges, with some facing violence in custody, between April and September 2022.

The spreading of fake news is another serious concern regarding the Indian media. In 2008, a sting operation made by CobraPost acted as a warning to Indian Democracy. It was revealed in this sting that many media organisations are ready to alter the content in exchange for money. The most detrimental aspect of this operation was that the media can go to any extent for making money even if that included going against the very nature of democracy. The reporter who did the sting asked the people in senior positions of media organisations if they would do a communal polarisation before the elections and disturb the image of the leaders of opposition. To no surprise, they agreed to spread the web of this fake news. This shows the level to which the journalists can droop in order to make some money.

DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES OF IRRESPONSIBLE REPORTING

Bad journalism, whether intentional, has severe consequences on the citizens of a country. It breaches the trust of the audience and damages the credibility of the news station. Spreading of misinformation leads to polarisation.

Credits: Times Of India

In India most of the news channels are not profit making. Therefore, in order to make money they are dependent on advertisements that they receive from various companies or institutions. Herein, the government comes into picture. The government has to advertise its various schemes, programs etc. and the government in power has to decide which news media it has to invest in. Therefore, every news channel receiving the advertisements by the government does not essentially cover news which shows the government in the wrong light.

For example, the Indian government exerts a significant influence over DD News, due to its ownership structure and funding. Here's a breakdown of the key points:

•Ownership: DD News is part of Doordarshan, a state-owned broadcaster under the Prasar Bharati Board. Though the board claims autonomy, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appoints its members.

•Funding: The government is the primary source of funding for DD News. This financial dependence creates leverage for the government to influence content.

•Editorial Control: There are concerns that news selection and presentation on DD News favour the government's agenda. Critics point to appointments of editors and journalists with perceived government leanings.

Recent Examples:

The 2019 decision to make DD News a Hindi-only channel, while creating a separate English news channel, was seen by some as a way to limit criticism from a wider audience.

The recent logo change to a more orange hue sparked accusations of "saffronisation," implying alignment with the ruling party's ideology.

It's important to consider these points when evaluating DD News coverage. While the channel may not be as overtly biased as some state-run media, questions remain about its true journalistic independence.

UNACCOUNTABILITY OF THE PRESS COUNCIL

Today other monitoring bodies including the Press Council of India, and the Editors Guild of India are not coming forward to save journalism. According to the Ethical Journalism Network, the Press Council of India finds itself unable to implement ethics in the media publications. Instead of dealing with paid news and other unethical practices, the PCI seems to drag its feet in such matters.

In 2003, a photojournalist gave a tip to the council about how advertisements are published in the form of news. But instead of investigating the matter, the Press Council told the media organisations that their credibility is getting affected by this. So, they have to differentiate between advertisements and news. In fac,t the press council did not even publish a report created by the journalists Paranjoy Guha and K. Sreenivas Reddy, which talked about the malpractice of paid news. They said that it could have dented the image of the media houses.

These are the reasons why India stands at 150th position out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Paris based ‘Reporters without Borders’. According to experts, this is the worst situation ever. Corporatisation and politicisation have such a strong hold on the media houses that those journalists who do not compromise on their work ethics have to face a risk of losing their jobs.

CONCLUSION

Journalism is the only power that can bring positive change in society. Media is the carrier of charge and consciousness. Journalism has an important role in making people aware and public opinion on any subject. The deteriorating state of freedom of press is concerning as it threatens democracy. Therefore, the need of the hour is to revise the regulations so that all the lost grounds and failures can be effectively reinstated. A free and independent press is a necessary tool for holding those in power accountable, exposing corruption and providing the public with genuine and unbiased information. Not to forget there must also be a balance between freedom of expression and speech restrictions. Management and other officials must ensure reporters’ and journalists’ protection and freedom so that they can cover the news without being influenced by political, governmental, or wealthy influential people and groups. It is important for the media to stick to the core principles of journalism like truth, accuracy, transparency, independence, fairness and impartiality. The Indian media has a huge responsibility of showing facts and presenting information. Any slight malpractice on their side would be a huge loss for democracy. The citizens have the right to correct information without any bias. Therefore, it is the duty of media houses to show them truthful news. In addition to large stream media outlets, there is a need to support and promote independent journalism. A few youtubers and blog makers make content rich videos with no propaganda and present facts in front of the audience which enables the audience to form their own viewpoints without the interference of any other person or institution. This is what the common people expect from the media organisations and as it is said that it's never too late, the media has still enough time to recognize its malpractices and embrace change.