The state of news
While there have been many exemplary investigative reports to come from India, the public’s trust in mainstream news media has been wavering. On the one hand, newspapers were found to be the most trusted source of news in the country. On the other hand, sensationalism in news programs, especially debate shows, and biased media coverage have resulted in lower levels of trust in certain outlets. Moreover, news reports often present polarized views owing to partisanship displayed by both media outlets and their audiences. This, coupled with a lacking fact-checking practice, has left room for the propagation of misinformation.Fake news continued to be a challenge in the social media-savvy country, where users increasingly sourced their news from platforms such as YouTube and WhatsApp. Fact-checking organizations and alternative digital news websites, such as Newslaundry and The Wire, played an important role in battling the spread of misinformation. Interestingly, the Indian government also proposed that social media be fact-checked by the Press Information Bureau and other government agencies to curb fake news.
Threats to the fourth estate
India’s position in terms of press freedom and safety has steadily declined over the past decade. Media ownership and control are major concerns affecting media pluralism. An unsustainable financial model has been a pain point for journalism around the world, and India is no different, allowing third parties like MNCs to exert undue influence on news organizations.Crimes against journalists have increased, with the murder of prominent journalists like Gauri Lankesh sparking debates about the safety of practicing journalism in India. The BJP-led government also came down heavily on its critics. Since 2014, several journalists have been imprisoned primarily on anti-state charges. Other controversial moves included the Pegasus spyware scandal wherein 300 Indians (including journalists and politicians) were surveilled, frequent internet shutdowns, attempts to censor opposing views on social media, and the banning of the BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
