In News:

The 23rd Annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2024–25, titled “Frontline Democracy: Media and Political Churn”, flags a concerning decline in media freedom across South Asia, including India. Published by the Asia Press Freedom group, the report assesses press conditions in eight countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Key Findings

• Over 250 violations of media rights recorded.
• 69 journalists were jailed or detained; 20 killed in the line of duty.
• India ranked 151st globally in press freedom; Bhutan dropped to 152nd—its lowest ever.
• Pakistan witnessed its most violent year for journalists in two decades, with eight killed.

India-Specific Observations

Legal and Institutional Suppression

• Increasing use of stringent laws like UAPA, PMLA, defamation, and sedition against journalists.
• Media organizations critical of the government have faced IT raids, ED investigations, and denial of government advertising.
• These actions have led to widespread self-censorship and a chilling effect on critical reporting.

Disinformation and Political Interference

• Political IT Cells play a key role in spreading fake news and hate speech, deepening the trust deficit in mainstream media.
• The Global Risks Report 2024 identifies “manipulated information” as the world’s most serious short-term threat.

Digital & Economic Challenges

• AI-generated content undermines journalistic credibility and originality.
• Media workforce faces challenges from:
  • Declining advertisement revenue
  • Contractualisation under new labour codes
  • Mergers and corporate restructuring
  • Precarity of gig and freelance journalists

Gender Inequality

• Poor representation of women in newsroom leadership roles.
• Pervasive gender-based harassment remains unaddressed.

Impacts of Eroding Media Freedom

• Democratic Deficit: Weakens the role of the press as the fourth pillar of democracy.
• Public Mistrust: Rising perception of media bias and loss of credibility.
• Reduced Information Access: Laws like the DPDP Act 2023 and changes to RTI provisions hinder public transparency.