Freedom of speech: How independent is our media?

We all are well aware of the trend of forwarding “fake news” which came to light recently.

There were ads and hoardings everywhere saying “Beware of fake messages” “Trust the print media”. But can we?

Today we will be talking about the independence of media, an issue which has become extremely important in today’s generation. 

Media independence is the absence of external control and influence on an institution or individual working in the media. It is a measure of one's capacity to "make decisions and act according to its own logic without any fear or restriction.

The issue has gained so much popularity recently which could be seen from an incident that happened a few weeks back.

A person sent the obituary of “Media” to be printed in The Hindu and the newspaper actually printed it!

With profound regret we announce the demise of Ms. Media, beloved daughter of Mr. Freedom, and wife of Ms. Truth.

                                    

People’s trust in media is declining and we can’t blame media for this. Are you aware of various instances when a journalist tried to print the truth and he was rewarded with threats to kill his/her family or in some cases a gun shot at his/her head?

The story of A Journalist- Gauri Lankesh

Gauri Lankesh was an Indian journalist-turned-activist from Bangalore, Karnataka. She worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly. She was honored with Anna Politkovskaya Award for speaking against right-wing Hindu extremism, campaigning for women's rights and opposing caste based discrimination.

(Right of Speech, isn't any right?)

And as the shown in the movies, the future was quite predictable. The journalist was shot dead on September 5, 2017 outside her house by a member of a gang that apparently planned to kill her after being inspired by a book brought out by right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha.

What killed Gauri? Parashuram Waghmore confessed to Special Investigation Team - "I was told to kill her to save my religion."

(Religion can make you do anything, right?) The anger inside us makes us forget humanity. And yes, she wasn't just shot 1 time, but 4 times!

Yet Another, Charlie Hebdo-

We are well aware of the infamous Charlie Hebdo case that occurred in Paris.

The horrific terrorist attack in Paris at the office of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo was a direct assault on the freedom of speech, thought and expression, the fundamentals on which all open, democratic societies are built. Ten staff members at the satirical weekly, including four of its top cartoonists, were gunned down by masked men who entered the building and targeted the editorial meeting in what seemed to be a well-planned and professional operation. They left shouting Allahu-Akbar, killing two policemen on the street outside before driving off in a getaway car.

Since 2006, when it first published the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, Charlie Hebdo had been under threat of violent attacks by Islamist groups. Refusing to be intimidated by this, they continued their operations and were thus faced by such an attack. (So much reward for being honest)

Cost of Free Speech-

India stands in 142nd place in the Press Freedom Index 2020. In case of 30 journalists murdered since 2010 being tracked by indian media, there has been exactly 1 conviction.

Government interference and regulation of media hampers the effective functioning of any democracy. Political leaders, mobs and other organisations are also responsible for the fear among journalists. The increased attacks and arrests of journalists have rung alarm bells across the country and now people are much more aware of the importance of unbiased journalism and its relevance in our lives.

Well, it makes me conclude that it is not journalists and rationalists that are under threat, the whole idea of free speech is!