India part of wider development of eroding press freedom

Common 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 development of declining press freedom and rising impunity for crimes towards journalists.

Relevance : GS 2(Polity and Governance)

Alarming Developments in India

• Indian media has been “shackled” by a systemic technique to cripple press freedom.
• Rising belief deficit in conventional media.
• Impartial web sites are being choked by way of state strain and authorized actions.
• Freelancers and gig journalists face job insecurity, worsened by AI-led disruptions.

Authorized and Institutional Framework

• Present authorized provisions resembling defamation legal guidelines, sedition, UAPA, and PMLA are generally invoked in issues involving media content material.
• Whereas these legal guidelines goal to uphold nationwide safety and public order, their frequent software in media-related circumstances has raised considerations concerning the scope of their use.
• Regulatory actions together with tax investigations, authorized notices, and coverage selections on commercial allocation can impression the operational atmosphere of media retailers.
• These developments could result in elevated warning or self-regulation amongst journalists and organisations, doubtlessly affecting editorial freedom.

Political Disinformation Equipment

• IT cells of political events flagged as main drivers of:
  • Disinformation
  • Hate speech
• Contributes to erosion of public belief within the media and fuels propaganda.

Press Freedom Threats in Broader South Asia

• Pakistan noticed its most violent yr for journalists in 20 years – 8 killed.
• Failure throughout the area to examine impunity in crimes towards journalists.
• Instance: Mukesh Chandrakar’s homicide in India reveals excessive threat to native journalists.

Structural and Financial Challenges

• Shrinking job market for journalists in India and throughout South Asia.
• Decline in advert revenues, company mergers, and labour code modifications selling contract work.
• Rise of AI in content material creation threatens employment and editorial autonomy.

Constructive Developments

• Digital transition has enabled the progress of other and unbiased media.
• These platforms present a counterbalance to stagnating legacy media, regardless of threats.

International Context

• References International Dangers Report 2024: identifies manipulated/faux info as the highest short-term international threat.
• Ties India’s challenges to broader international considerations about democracy, transparency, and media integrity.