Press and challenges

November 16 marks National Press Day, a significant occasion that commemorates the establishment of the Press Council of India (PCI) in 1966. The PCI was envisioned as a sentinel of press freedom, upholding journalistic ethics while shielding the media from undue censorship and external pressures. The importance of a free press in a democratic society cannot be overstated. As the “fourth pillar of democracy,” the press plays a pivotal role in holding power to account, disseminating information, and fostering informed public discourse. Over the decades, the PCI has worked to strike a delicate balance between freedom and responsibility, ensuring that the press remains both a watchdog and a mirror to society. Since 2014, the Indian media landscape has undergone a marked transformation. Many prominent media houses have been acquired by corporate entities with direct or indirect ties to political power. This growing corporatization has left journalists navigating an increasingly treacherous environment, where editorial autonomy is often compromised to appease advertisers, shareholders, or the ruling dispensation. Instances of investigative journalism-once the hallmark of India’s robust press-have dwindled as fear looms large over editorial decisions. Newsrooms are fraught with self-censorship, wary of the repercussions of offending the government or exposing wrongdoing. Investigative reports, critical op-eds, and dissenting voices are increasingly rare, replaced by sycophantic coverage that undermines the very premise of a free press. Moreover, journalists daring to hold power accountable often face threats, harassment, income tax raids, defamation lawsuits, or arrests under draconian laws. These targeted actions instil a climate of fear, where pursuing truth becomes a high-risk venture. The government must work towards creating a safe environment for journalists, enacting legislation that protects them from arbitrary arrests, violence, and lawsuits aimed at silencing dissent.India is currently ranked 159 out of the 180 nations considered in the 2024 edition of the press freedom index, published by the organisation Reporters Without Borders. India has been ranked over 100 since 2003, which means that press freedom has been poor for a very long time and did not begin when BJP came to power in 2014. However, the RSF’s(Reporters Without Borders -RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French) analysis mentioned that India’s media has fallen into an “unofficial state of emergency” since BJP under Modi came to power in 2014 and “engineered a spectacular rapprochement between his party, the BJP, and the big families dominating the media”. Another significant concern is the increasing alignment of many media houses with those in power, compromising their role as independent watchdogs. This trend undermines the essence of a free press, which is to serve as a platform for truth, dissent, and public accountability. The PCI must be empowered to take meaningful action against media malpractice and interference, ensuring its independence from governmental influence. It is also a fact that hate and divisive political narrative is responsible for the environment of fear as perpetrators are more often allowed to go scot free if they belong to a particular group or political ideology. This has resulted in erosion of independent journalism which affects not just the media but also the public. The erosion also deprives citizens of accurate, unbiased information essential for informed decision-making. This is a pressing concern that must be addressed through stronger adherence to ethical journalism and renewed efforts to protect press freedom from external and internal pressures.