Figure 1: 2020 World Press Freedom Index rankings for Southasia. Himal Southasain
Press freedom is a key factor for any well functioning democracy. This factor was an essential tool for India during the struggle of independence from the British Raj. However, since 2014, we have seen a drastic change in the kind of journalism presented to the citizens. The perspective and quality of the news supplied by the mainstream media has changed radically and the voices of independent journalists and news agencies have been suppressed. These could very well be the reasons that India hit an all time low in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index with a rank of 142 out of 180. So, let’s get to the important questions -
Who is responsible for this? And why is the press of the country which stood up to the tyranny of the colonial masters converting itself into one where news is simply advertisement for the ruling government?
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a right-wing Hindu Nationalist Party, was elected to power in 2014 and again in 2019. It’s safe to say that a large section of the Indian media has become the lap dog of this government. In 2019, a sting operation was conducted by Cobrapost, which showed video proof of how some two dozen news organizations were willing to not only cause communal disharmony among the citizens but also tilt the electoral outcome in favor of a particular party for a price. A major reason for news organizations to go completely pro-government is because the BJP regularly uses government machinery like the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate to keep in check the mainstream media and independent organizations who dare to criticize the government. The BJP has tried to systematically weaken the news and media organizations and create division along communal lines which has now polarized the majority of the population in India. The ruling party has also stopped running ads on TV channels which don’t toe its line, hence denying them an important source of revenue. This pressure also extends to other companies who now don't want to run ads or support news organizations who don’t buckle under the pressure of the government.
Recently, the government has come under fire for passing Farm Reform Laws which have been opposed by a large section of farmers and protests have been going on in different parts of India. The government has used the media to try to discredit and demonize the farmers. This vilification reached another level in October.
Figure 2: A vehicle set ablaze after violence broke out in Lakhimpur Kheri on 3 October 2021 . Photo Courtesy - PTI
On October 3rd, 2021, four farmers were mowed down by three SUVs, one of them allegedly driven by the son of the Union Minister, Ajay Kumar Mishra, in the Lakhimpur Kheri District of Uttar Pradesh. This led to further violence resulting in the lynching and death of four BJP workers. The coverage that this incident got is just another nail in the coffin of the credibility of mainstream media. At first, the violence was overshadowed with a huge distraction of a Bollywood superstar’s son being involved in a drugs scandal and was later subjected to shoddy and false reporting. Dainik Jagran, the largest selling newspaper in the country, took the cake with its best, misleading headline: “Uttar Pradesh me arajak kisano ka upadrav, 6 ki jaan gayi” [Unruly farmers on rampage in Uttar Pradesh, 6 lost lives]. Other channels played along the same lines. This proves how the media can go above and beyond to protect the government’s image and play along with their narrative, even when the government abuses its power in the most gruesome ways. The fact that the mainstream media will not project public opinion makes India question its credibility and creates a disconnect which can only be bad news for a democracy.
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