General Observations
- Title of the report: “Frontline Democracy: Media and Political Churn”.
- Covers India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.
- Identifies a wider South Asian trend of declining press freedom and rising impunity for crimes against journalists.
Relevance : GS 2(Polity and Governance)
Alarming Trends in India
- Indian media has been “shackled” by a systemic strategy to cripple press freedom.
- Rising trust deficit in traditional media.
- Independent websites are being choked through state pressure and legal actions.
- Freelancers and gig journalists face job insecurity, worsened by AI-led disruptions.
Legal and Institutional Framework
- Existing legal provisions such as defamation laws, sedition, UAPA, and PMLA are sometimes invoked in matters involving media content.
- While these laws aim to uphold national security and public order, their frequent application in media-related cases has raised concerns about the scope of their use.
- Regulatory actions including tax investigations, legal notices, and policy decisions on advertisement allocation can impact the operational environment of media outlets.
- These developments may lead to increased caution or self-regulation among journalists and organisations, potentially affecting editorial freedom.
Political Disinformation Machinery
- IT cells of political parties flagged as major drivers of:
- Disinformation
- Hate speech
- Contributes to erosion of public trust in the media and fuels propaganda.
Press Freedom Threats in Broader South Asia
- Pakistan saw its most violent year for journalists in 20 years – 8 killed.
- Failure across the region to check impunity in crimes against journalists.
- Example: Mukesh Chandrakar’s murder in India shows extreme risk to local journalists.
Structural and Economic Challenges
- Shrinking job market for journalists in India and across South Asia.
- Decline in ad revenues, corporate mergers, and labour code changes promoting contract work.
- Rise of AI in content creation threatens employment and editorial autonomy.
Positive Developments
- Digital transition has enabled the growth of alternative and independent media.
- These platforms provide a counterbalance to stagnating legacy media, despite threats.
Global Context
- References Global Risks Report 2024: identifies manipulated/fake information as the top short-term global risk.
- Ties India’s challenges to broader global concerns about democracy, transparency, and media integrity.
