By M L Satyan
Bengaluru, Oct 6, 2023: The arrest of News Click founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha, the human resources chief Amit Chakravarty and a few other journalists associated with News Click on October 4, has sent a shock wave throughout the country.
Amid growing restrictions on media freedom, Indian authorities have arrested journalists on spurious terrorism and sedition charges, and have routinely targeted critics and independent news organizations, including raiding their workplaces and houses.
As a freelance journalist I start wondering about the future of journalism in India.
Media is one of the four pillars of democracy in India. Today the journalists are under threat. A journalist who tries to be truthful to his mission is branded as an “anti-national” by the federal government.
Criticisms and critics of the government are always sidelined or punished. Article 19(1) (a) of the Indian Constitution states that all citizens have the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Apart from being the source of news, it is also the voice of the people. Thus, it is a two-way communication channel. The media is expected to be impartial in all its dealings.
In a democratic country like India, media acts as the bridge between the government and the population at large. Democracy cannot survive without media. It exercises the basic right of freedom of speech and expression.
The media is a sort of feedback for the government from the people, who are governed. Additionally, the citizens also get all the necessary information about the government proceedings from the media.
Media as an umbrella term includes several news agencies, digital, newspapers and magazines. The media has its limitations. However, it has to perform the role of checking on the commandments of the other three pillars, so that the governed are not at a loss.
If the media takes on its truest form, it can be very advantageous for the people of any country. The media plays a very important role in making people aware of their rights and duties.
It also makes people aware of all the political happenings across the country. Moreover, it draws attention to various institutional failings. It also plays the role of pressurizing the government over several situations.
Today, the media plays a huge role in acting as a watchdog. It also judges and records the misbehaviour of politicians and government officials. Thus, the media’s role encompasses accountability.
The media along with the judiciary can act against the non-competitiveness and fallacies of the government.
The federal government is increasingly targeting journalists and online critics for their criticism of government policies and practices, including by prosecuting them under counter-terrorism and sedition laws.
Targeting of journalists, coupled with a broader crackdown on dissent, has emboldened some religious fanatics and anti-social elements to threaten, harass, and abuse journalists both online and offline, with impunity.
Every journalist is entrusted with the mission of speaking truth to power. In order to accomplish this mission, the journalist must be true to himself/herself. Only when a person is true to himself/herself, he/she can be true to others and true to God. There can never be credibility when a person is not honest to himself/herself. So, the foundational characteristic is credibility or integrity.
According to the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, for a person to influence others, he or she must be viewed as a person with credibility or integrity. This statement still holds true today.
Having trust and credibility is imperative for building a society. Hence, one needs to work on building personal credibility, an essential skill one cannot dispense with. We believe that for being a true media person, credibility is of utmost importance.
Keeping integrity in our practices and sticking to our principles can go a long way in building relationships. Individuals who stick to what they say and do not deviate, are perceived to be genuine and trustworthy. It is as simple as –“Do what you say and say what you do.”
This can help build reliability and trustworthiness. Credibility stems out of basic integrity of words and actions and when people observe that our actions and words are aligned, we become believable to ourselves and to others.
The offshoot of credibility is courage. Credibility in fact gives courage to think, speak or do what one wants. If a journalist is credible, then, he/she will have the courage to speak or write the truth.
So, credibility gives courage to communicate what we want. A credible person will always communicate only the truth to whomever he/she wants. A credible and courageous journalist will be able to communicate truth to all categories of people. He/she will have the courage to tell even the people in power or authority what is right or wrong.
I have been functioning as a freelance journalist since 2001. In the recent years I have come across some fearless journalists/media persons in India. Those who have inspired me are Ravish Kumar, Ajit Anjum, Abhisar Sharma, Ashok Wankhede, Punya Prasun Bajpai, Sakshi Joshi, Barkha Dutt, Arfa Khanum, Dharmendra and Munmohan Mishra.
Fearless journalism may be seen in Jesus who embodied the qualities of credibility, courage and communication. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No;’ anything more than this comes from evil.” (Mt.5:37).
Jesus condemned with severe words the hypocrisy of the pharisees and the teachers of law (Mt.23:1-36). While replying to Pilate Jesus said, “I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.” (Jn.18:37). Due to his credibility, Jesus had the courage to challenge those in power and communicate the truth to them.
I wish to conclude with the saying of the communication expert Michelle Gladieux – “Courage is strength in the face of fear. It is needed when we raise our voice to defend our own or another’s reputation, rights, or interests.
Expressing our views can be scary. Let us walk the talk and decide what we stand for and communicate in pursuit of those goals.”