Are we, as a society, setting the right examples for students interested in mass media and journalism?
Nearly every war that has been started over the past 50 years has been a result of media lies — Julian Assange
As our country is regressing and moving towards the past rather than the future, there is little hope for a bright future for today’s generation. The saying that there is nothing that money can’t buy is getting truer day by day, as today even integrity is for sale.
The job of a journalist is challenging; there is no doubt about that. The long hours, pressure to achieve the target, be relevant, etc. are trying. Just that some journalists cross extreme limits to be relevant, and the ones who retain their integrity are behind bars. The idea of going to prison or being killed just for doing your job well is the most bizarre thing ever and also the saddest. According to Statista, In the period between 1992 and 2022, the country saw a total of 61 journalists killed and 25 journalists sentenced to jail. India stands at 161 among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.
The misconception that if you are loud, you are relevant is more trending these days. The anchors on the news channels these days are always yelling and naming people anti-national. Anyone who writes or talks against the government is anti-national according to them. Facts and figures are a lost cause to them, instead spreading hate propaganda against minorities is a priority.
The media is the fourth pillar of our democracy. We see that dwindling every passing day and the pillar coming to a crash. We are not entirely doomed though, as there are still journalists with integrity out there on whose able shoulders the pillar is surviving. Journalists like P. Sainath travel to remote areas and bring back the actual reality of the sufferings of farmers. Mohammed Zubair the founder of ALT News, fact-checks the fake news with evidence, who also has been jailed for doing so too. Faye D’souza brings impartial and reliable news on her channel.
Ravish Kumar, a senior Hindi news journalist who earlier worked with NDTV, continues to do his part on YouTube now. NDTV was the most reliable news channel before Gautam Adani took over the channel for the government. Ravish and his family also get regular death threats for speaking against the government. We can only pity the mindset of the people who give death threats to a child. His documentary, “While we watched” says it all.
Recently there was a raid on NewsClick, an online news channel, who were critical of the government. 46 people were taken for questioning and their electronic devices were confiscated. Their homes were raided. 74-year-old Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor and HR head, Amit Chakravarty was arrested under UAPA. They have been alleged that they get funding from China for writing against the government, a claim which they have denied.
Rana Ayub, who receives death threats and rape threats daily, continues to strive for the truth and be the voice of the minorities. She says in an interview to not call them brave and put them on a pedestal but rather see them as human beings because they are vulnerable too.
Journalists like Arfa Khanum Sherwani of The Wire who is often told to “Go to Pakistan” for the mistake of stating facts in their news broadcast and also for being a Muslim.
Gauri Lankesh a Hindu nationalist critic was shot dead outside her house. She was an editor of Lakesh Patrike, which was started by her father P Lankesh. She was the voice of Muslims, Dalits, women, and the indigenous who were the targets of the ruling nationalist party. She was relentless and outspoken, but she paid a heavy price for standing against the powerful.
It is not just the case in India but all around the world. 289 journalists have been killed worldwide over the last 5 years.
These arbitrary threats and killings are to maim the media who are doing their jobs. If this government continues, there will only be journalists like Arnab Goswami, Rubika Liyaquat, Navika Kumar, Anjana Om Kashyap etc. who ask the PM questions like “Aap Thakte kyu nahi” (How do you not get tired) or “how many hours you sleep” rather than the questions that matter. Someone like Narendra Modi who did not dare to give a single press conference in 8 years of his rule.
These killings also show how afraid these leaders are of the integrity of the media. These attacks should ring an alarm across the world for the protection of media. Surely people have resorted to WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram for news, giving rise to the spread of fake news. But facts, figures, statistics, and logic go a long way.