Shame On Press India Inc.

 World Press Freedom Ranking of India Falls Low Below

India – “one of the most dangerous nations for the media.” – RSF

No wonder India ranks 150 among 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index 2022 released by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières) or RSF. The territories RSF highlighted are “disastrous effects of news and information chaos — the effects of a globalised and unregulated online information space that encourages fake news and propaganda.” The shameful ranking can be viewed as how the media houses have become the mouthpiece of the government after it has intensified its crackdown on press freedom. 

Three media-related news reports – 

1. the shutting down of a TV channel,

2. the new policy on accreditation of journalists, and

3. a report on the rising number of assaults and arrests of journalists – 

go to show the increasing crackdown on the media, a big blow to free speech in the world’s largest democracy. 

Take the first one. The Kerala High Court dismissed the petition of popular Malayalam news channel MediaOne TV challenging the Centre’s order to permanently shut down its transmission after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused security clearance to renew the channel’s licence. The news channel was not even informed of the specific grounds for cancelling its licence, the government’s only response for the move remained “national security”. It has raised questions on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

The upshot of the MediaOne case is that it makes all media outlets susceptible, and this is scary and dangerous because the government can shut down any media outlet and tell the court that it is a threat to national security.

Worryingly, such an approach gives scope for abuse to target media outlets that are critical and tell truth to power. In light of the unfavourable order from the court, the parties have taken the next step and filed an intra-court appeal, the outcome of which only time will tell.

Government’s second announcement that added to the anguish of journalists is a new policy on accreditation. Under the new rules, journalists can lose their accreditation if they act in a manner “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality”. The stringent new policy can be misused by the government in power and gives the government immense discretionary powers to curb media freedom. Representation to the Ministry of I&B has been made. The response from the ministry is awaited.

The third one is killing and arresting journalists. A report from the Committee Against Assault on Journalists (CAAJ) that said 12 journalists have been killed, 48 physically assaulted and 66 booked or arrested in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

Only a few decades ago, independent and investigative journalism in India was noteworthy. Big scandals and scams, corruption in high places and wrongdoing were exposed, even toppling governments. But in recent years, such journalism has suffered. Even Chief Justice of India N V Ramana lamented that independent and investigative journalism is “unfortunately vanishing from the media canvas.” 

“The authorities’ targeting of journalists, coupled with a broader crackdown on dissent, has emboldened Hindu nationalists to threaten, harass, and abuse journalists critical of the Indian government, both online and offline, with impunity,” RSF’s report on India said.

That said, the parts of the media that are still independent are braving all odds to expose misrule, corruption, wrongdoing, etc., at a time of growing authoritarianism and swirling misinformation. But if the environment of intimidation that includes raids on independent media offices, assaults and arrest of journalists, vilification of media houses and media persons as ‘money launderers’, and unfair policies relating to the media remain, the press will continue to suffer and our ranking will remain down below.