Communiqué is the annual media conclave organized by IlluminatiX- The Media and PR cell of XUB that seeks to deliver a platform for quality discussions on emerging trends and issues plaguing the media industry. The theme for this year was, ‘Media: Still a Mouthpiece for Free Speech?’ Communiqué is preluded by Critiqué which is an article writing competition organized by IlluminatiX, through which students from various colleges all over India get an opportunity to share their opinions on the theme. On the basis of creativity, content, and relevance eight students were selected this year to be the best submissions.
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“Art is not entertainment. At it’s very best, art is a revolution.” –
Salman Rushdie
I believe that the media is still a mouthpiece for free speech.
Media includes every broadcasting and a narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax, and internet. It is a channel that reflects public opinions and moods of society.
Part – 1 (The Indian Media)
Globally, one can find examples of adulation or flattery of the party in power by the media to gain brownie points. Turkey and China are the prime examples of this kind of approach of the media, transforming it from a rigorous opposition voice into a propaganda mouthpiece.
In the Indian context of mainstream media, it seems that ultra-nationalism has dominated the political narrative, refusing to accept dissent. The truest test of a robust democracy is the independence of its media, but in recent years the media has become the mouthpiece of the party in power.
In 2017, the former president of India, Dr. Pranab Mukherjee emphasized the point to the Indian media that “discussion and dissension” are crucial for a vibrant democracy, and it must hold public institutions accountable for all their actions and inactions. “There should always be room for the argumentative Indian and not the intolerant Indian. The media must be the watchdog, the mediator between the leaders and the public.”
The media has facilitated in spreading awareness regarding sensitive issues plaguing the Indian society like the marital rape, Section 377 of the Indian penal code, citizens being tortured by the Indian army on the grounds of AFSPA, which proves that the media has enormous power to not only shape public opinion but also transform it for the betterment of the society as a whole.
But for the media to be a pillar of democracy, it has the responsibility to take up issues that are controversial, issues that are dividing the society. The onus lies on the media to discuss these issues without any biases. But serious issues like
the beef ban,
the crisis in Kashmir,
dissent in universities and even the unrest in societies where Dalit’s –
the lowest level of India’s caste system – have been discriminated or killed, have received scant mention in media coverage.
“India ranks 136 among 180 countries in the index compiled by Reporters without Borders, an NGO which points towards the lack of media freedom and the poor quality of Indian journalism. Filings with the registrar of companies in the ministry of corporate affairs have revealed that five Indian news media companies –
NDTV, News Nation, India TV, News24 and Network18 – are indebted to either Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian and the owner of Reliance Industries, or Mahendra Nahata, an industrialist and Ambani associate, who is also on the board of Reliance’s new telecom venture, Reliance Jio. Thus the Indian media is the B team of the Bhartiya Janta Party and the Modi Government.”
The rise of the digital revolution and spread of mobile connectivity has increased our ability to access, interact with and share information but at the same time, it has led to a rise in state surveillance, fake news, censorship and increased physical danger.
“According to a report published by The Hoot, a website that tracks media, at least 54 journalists were attacked between January 2016 and April 2017. Last year eminent journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in the IT Hub Bangalore for being a critic of the Right Wing’s Hindu Nationalist politics. In January 2018, Rachna Khaira of The Tribune faced a police complaint for exposing a major privacy breach in a nationwide database of 1 billion Indians. Last year, CBI had raided the house of NDTV’s Prannoy Roy’s residence and the NDTV offices allegedly due to non-disclosure of their shares pledged to ICICI Bank in return for a loan. The clear motive behind this was to create troubles in the channels functioning due to its fearless journalism against the government.”
Part 2 – (Social Media And Censorship)
Information is power but without the means of distributing information, how can the power be harnessed? Social media is a platform where we not only gain and share information but also express ourselves and our opinions. People might share information to demonstrate what they stand for, to feel involved, and to have a real impact. Increased visibility of issues has shifted the power from the hands of a few to the masses. “However, when we take networks built for social reasons and start using them as our information feeds, we tend to miss out on contrary views and run into exaggerated degrees of agreement.”— C Thi Nguyen.
“People rightly value freedom of speech. It protects you from state sanctions and censorship. But it offers you practically zero protection if what you say provokes a backlash – or “flaming” in online lingo – from social and mainstream media. That’s because naysayers, too, are exercising their freedom of speech.”—Alex Lo
In India under article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed. Though this freedom is not absolute as under article 19(2) the state has the right to limit the freedom on certain grounds—security of the state, obscenity, decency, morality, integration, public order. This is the breeding ground of censorship.
Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any information through any platform—films, newspapers, magazines, documentaries, internet, etc.—because it is considered harmful. It leads to a label being attached to the work of an artist. Not only the art but the life of the artist could also be in danger. It suppresses freedom of expression and builds fear in the hearts and minds of the artist. It also leads to self-censorship which hampers creativity.
The entertainment industry has progressed in the sense of the content shown and the message conveyed with movies like Lipstick Under my Burkha, PadMan, Aligarh, etc. which has also improved the debates and discussions in the Indian society. But in India, censorship is done on ridiculous grounds—to prevent hurting religious sentiments, to prevent the pride of the nation, the art/film shown is too lady oriented, to prevent misrepresenting the gender bias, which then can lead to self-censorship which hampers creativity.
Part 3 – (Trial By Media)
On similar lines, it can be observed that media trial is an intervention of the individual privacy and free speech. Trial by media is the intensive television and newspaper coverage, damaging the reputation of the accused before any verdict by law. Every individual has the right to a free and fair trial and is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.
The article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution grants the freedom of the press but no freedom is absolute and the press doesn’t have the right to prejudice trials and hinder in granting justice.
The aggressive journalism of the press leads to distortion of facts, sensationalisation of the cases and infringement upon the privacy of an individual. Acting for commercial interests and garnering TRPs, the press might tilt the case rather than being a facilitator to justice. This was proven in the Sheena Bora murder case and the Arushi Talwar murder case.
However, the media is the fourth pillar of democracy and the citizens have the right to information. The media through its fearless journalism acts as a watchdog on the other pillars, including the judiciary. It can help to fast-track the cases (for example, the Nirbhaya case) or bring about justice (for example, the Jessica Lal case).
Opinions should never become more important than facts and the courts should not have to bow down to public sentiments, but when all the facts are not brought forward, media trial may be necessary, making the editor, the investigator.
Conclusion
What is a greater threat to democracy—diminishing freedom of the press or the monopoly of the press on our opinions? India has one of the world’s most vibrant and competitive media environments. It is now time to conduct a reality check and ask whether all is well with it.
The Indian media has come a long way from the times of the Indira Gandhi Government, as now due to advancement in technology, public opinions can’t be suppressed. The Indian society as a whole has also matured, as there is an appreciation for diversity and pluralism. The media in its own right has to a great extent facilitated free speech but has also spread fear against any kind of disagreements. Thus I believe that the media is still a mouthpiece for free speech.
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Priyanka Chugh
FORE School of Management
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