By Ranjona Banerji
The Supreme Court of India was applauded this week by some sections of the media and free speech advocates. The SC struck down a 2022 Central decision to revoke the licences of Madhyam Broadcasting’s channels Media One and Media One Lite for their alleged “anti-establishment” content. The court said that such “actions to force the media to shun its duty to speak truth to power would pose a grave danger to democracy and have a chilling effect on free speech” (from a Times of India report, dated April 6, 2023).
So, media 1, government 0.
Or, well, let’s be honest.
This is one tiny drop of hope in the current ocean of despair when it comes to media freedoms and an authoritarian regime.
The government uses its control over broadcasting licences, newsprint imports and government advertising to keep the traditional media in check. These tactics have been largely successful and that is why so many sections of the mainstream media can be wary of being critical of the government or of appearing to be “anti-establishment.
There is also inherent cowardice and capitulation and of course those in the community who cheer on and contribution to social disharmony, the spread of hatred and misinformation.
But the government knows that digital platforms – because they do not need broadcasting licences, or paper, or government advertising – are more openly critical or even, gasp, anti-establishment.
Thus, there have been constant attempts through the Information Technology Amendment Rules, to try and restrict the digital media.
The latest assault is on online gaming and “fact checks”. According to the Internet Freedom Foundation, the garb of a “fact check” by a government agency could in effect take down social media sites and block content. If extended, this amendment would also affect news platforms. The Editors Guild of India has also taken note of these proposed changes and issued its own statement.
Everyone within the media knows that the threat is real and that the media has bent over backwards to lie on behalf of the government. Those within the media and members of the public who equate this genuflection only to monetary pressures are lying and fooling themselves. The BJP is not the first political party to try and control the media by these means. But the resistance to pressure has now more or less vanished. This definitely means that there are enough within newsrooms who agree with the new configuration of India, of the slow destruction of democracy and the rise of social hatred.
Some of these people outed themselves and joined BJP propaganda platforms. But there are even more within newsrooms, who control the dissemination of information. These are far more dangerous because they are insidious. And powerful.
Are there small glimmers of hope, when the traditional media gets out of genuflection mode?
Is this one of them?
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/74-per-cent-of-indians-concerned-about-their-personal-financial-situation-says-report-23279686
A report that Indians are actually suffering because of our miserable economic situation created by an incompetent, uncaring government?
Who knows?
Not me.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.