By Seema Khan
In last few years India has seen a drastic growth in the number of news channels. There are about four hundred of them. Network 18, one of the largest networks with 56 is news channels, is owned by business Tycoon Mukesh Ambani, a blue-eyed boy of the present government.
For last few years, most of these channels and newspapers areno longer functioning as medium of dissemination of information but more as an extension of Public Relation department of the government. Mind programming, creating an atmosphere in favor of the government, dividing India on the religious lines, and demonizing Muslims for political gains of the ruling regime has become the main agenda of these channels and the newspapers.
Instead of questioning the government the anchors of these channels question the opposition.
Writing is clearly on the wall that if they don’t toe the government line, they will have to face the wrath of the government. The message has been clearly demonstrated with NDTV, which practices true and independent reporting. They have been facing harassment at hands of investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and police. Innumerable charges have been slapped against its owners.
With the exception of few sane voices like that of Ravish Kumar, journalistic ethics are no longer followed. Most of the TV journals are unapologetic, brash, hate mongers, and seem to trade in conflict. No questions are asked, no issues are raised or discussed, debates are either to please the government or divide the people on communal lines, or to program the minds of the people towards a particular ideology.
There is no question answer session in television debates. It’s common to see the news anchors screaming and shouting, thumping the table, and often clapping. Their popular ‘debate’ seem to revolve around war with Pakistan, branding opposition leaders as traitors, declaring social activists as anti-national and Muslims as ‘desh-drohis’ (traitors).
But what these so called debates have done so far is to divide people on communal lines. Muslims as outsiders and traitors, Rahul Gandhi as Pappu and incompetent to lead the country, liberals as anti-nationals, Congress is soft on anti-nationals, Muslims and Kashmir, and all the problem that country is facing is because of pandit Nehru.
The media is now clearly divided into two, one toeing the government line and which has earned the nick name ‘Godi media’, and the other which does independent journalism. The godi media gets most of the government funds for advertisements. Most of the owners of these godi media channels are members of parliament from the Ruling BJP, and are bank defaulters. Other channels and newspapers which are not in government’s good books struggle for finances and are subjected to government harassments.
Many eminent journalist like Abhishar Sharma, Punya Prsun Bajpai , Vinod Dua were shunted out of the channels they were working, for speaking the truth or asking questions to the government. All of them now work for digital media while witch hunt continues against these journalists. Recent example of this harassment is Uttar Pradesh government’s action. Uttar Pradesh police travelled from Ajodhya to Delhi, amidst corona lockdown, to deliver summons to Sidharth Vardarajan, founding editor of the“Wire”, for reporting UP government’s decision to go ahead with Ram Navmi.
What the Media has been discussing and what it should be discussing are two different things. The pro government media, or so called Godi media, under which most of the main stream news channels fall are Zee News , The Republic TV, ABP, Times Now, etc. The main stream newspapers like Amar Ujala, Danik Jagran, The Times of India etc. fall in the same category.
Agenda, rhetoric and debate themes are similar across these channels. They seem to behave more like war rooms and their decibel levels are usually high, with the anchor screaming and shouting at the guests, and the guests either scream back to the anchor, or scream at other members of the ‘panel’, in order to create an opinion in favor or against something or someone.
The recent example of this is the case against the Tabliqi Jammat at Nizamuddin for spreading corona virus in India. Godi media succeeded in convincing the whole nation that corona virus is being spread by theses people in India, and giving it names like “corona jihad”. The so called ‘debates’ went for days on all Godi channels and newspapers, creating a mass opinion against jamatis, holding them responsible for spreading the virus in India.
What the Media should rather have asked: Why were these Jammaties from other countries given visa when the first case in India was reported on 30th of January? Why it was not declared a national emergency when many other countries had declared it? Why was Namastay Trump held in February when Rahul Gandhi had mentioned corona issue to the government on 12 February.
But the narrative presented by the godi media suited the government to divert audience attention from the serious issue of stranded migrant workers caused by unplanned and sudden lock down.
When the country was going through the euphoria of cow worship and the cow was being projected as Hindu, the Bjp and RSS mafia, builders and local politicians were busy occupying the land meant for grazing. Cow shelters were being established and crores of rupees were swollowed by these people in the name of feeding of cows. Numerous videos have surfaced since then showing starving cows dying with hunger, but the godi media choose to remain silent on the issue.
In world famous cow related lynchings, the lynchers were supported by BJP and RSS and those lynched were Muslims and Dalits. Some of those involved in lynchings were awarded with ministry in Uttar Pradesh government, while some others were given jobs in NTPC. While democracy was being trampled and constitution violated, godi media, as expected, chose to remain silent.
No in-depth discussions took place when CBI raids took place at midnight and one of its own director was mysteriously replaced.
No godi media discussion in 2018 when four supreme court judges came out and said in public that the Indian democracy is in danger. When the government said that it would make the appointment of the judges [ though it was rejected by five judge bench] the intention of the government should have been questioned.
Distress farmers, increasing farmer suicides, restlessness among soldiers are clear signs of degradation. Educational institutions like Jawaharlal university, Aligarh Muslim university, Jamia Malila Islamia, Banaras Hindu University, etc., are systematically being destroyed. Students being harassed and jailed, widening gap between rich and poor, collapsing of the banking system, highest unemployment in 45 years, businessmen running away after looting banks, should have been the topics of debates, but no longer seem issues with the media.
Weakening of the media and the supreme court not fulfilling its constitutional duties as alleged by some retired judges, the election commission working on the direction of the government which again is subject to be questioned by the press, has led to centralization of power in the central government thus placing the country’s democracy in danger. When the system of checks and balances fails democracy is bound to fall apart.
Gauri Lakesha’s murder at the hands of right wingers was the first warning for the journalist.
All the doors of questioning and opposing the government are closed. During the lockdown we can see how the students and Kashmiri journalists are being hounded, arrested and put in jails for opposing CAA. Even pregnant ladies are not being spared. Did the media raise any voice on the plight of their fraternity?
This is one side of the mental and intellectual bankruptcy of mainstream Indian journalists. Post lock down they are going to face financial crises as the economy is going to crumble and advertisement revenue is going to reduce drastically. The digital platform of news is supported by its patrons and subscribers who provide funds to them, may find it easier to survive.
There has been a bloodbath in the industry with many channels laying off their employees. News nation has laid off 16 employees and India today laid off 46. Many have asked their employees to take salary cut. Times of India has sacked most off its Sunday magazine team.
Situation in South India seem to be better as most of those states have regional news channels and the influence of BJP in those states, except Karnataka, is less.
Last six years have seen a gradual degradation of Indian media. It seem to have forgotten that it is the fourth pillar of the democracy, and its duty is to safeguard the democratic institutions. Instead it has become the spokesperson of the government, and has handed over its power to the government. What we see now is the centralization of power in the hands of ruling party, and weakening of the system of checks and balances as designed by our constitution.
*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of UMMnews.
This is an open access content distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and the original source www.UMMnews.org is acknowledged.
