State repression and intimidation largest threat to press freedom, says CPI(M)

NEW DELHI: Referring to several instances of violence against journalists, the CPI(M) on Thursday said “state repression and intimidation” is the largest threat to press freedom.

In the latest editorial of its mouthpiece, People’s Democracy, the CPI(M) alleged that journalists are being increasingly booked under various legal provisions, including sedition, whenever they publish material considered inimical to the central or state governments.

The editorial was referring to the latest World Freedom Index issued on May 3 that has placed India at 161st among 180 countries.

Citing the example of Shashikant Warishe in Ratnagiri, it said journalists have been killed for doing expose about criminal or mafia activities.

“That is why the index defines those in the last 31 in ranking out of 180 as countries where the situation for journalists is ‘very serious’. India falls in this category.

“The single biggest threat to press freedom is state repression and intimidation. Every year witnesses a progression in the steps being taken by the Modi government to curtail the media and suppress independent media enterprises and journalists,” it said.

The editorial also claimed that the government has now turned its attention to smaller independent news websites and digital media.

“Rules were framed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) in 2021, which effectively allows the I&B (Information and Broadcasting) ministry to regulate the news websites and social media, the I&B can order removal of content from the digital media.

“The government control over news and information flows has been further tightened with a committee under the Press Information Bureau being given the power to fact-check and decide what is fake news regarding any government-related matters,” it said.

The editorial also claimed that the the second major threat to press freedom is the increasing concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few corporates, as pointed out by the Press Freedom Index report.

“The corporate media, which dominates the print and visual media, have become camp followers of the Modi regime to the extent that they are widely seen as the ‘godi (lapdog)’ media. The televisions channels owned by these corporates, in particular, have become strident propagandists for the Modi government and the Hindutva brand of politics.

“Those few who are independent have been subjected to raids and harassment or taken over by Modi’s crony capitalists like Adani who has acquired NDTV,” it said.

The editorial also alleged that this has resulted in the space shrinking for independent journalism and the absence of investigative journalism that can expose the wrongdoings of the powers that be.

“This stifling of press freedom is part of the overall attack on democracy and democratic rights by the authoritarian Modi government. A situation has been reached where the government feels confident that it can dictate terms to the mainstream media on what the news should be and how it should be depicted,” the CPI(M) alleged in the editorial.

The Left party in its editorial also hailed the courage of journalists “who have stood up to all types of intimidation and pressures to carry on their journalistic work with courage and integrity”.

“The fight for press freedom has to be part of the overall struggle for defending democracy,” the editorial said.

This year’s World Freedom Index was issued on May 3, observed as World Press Freedom Day. The Reporters Without Borders, which has prepared the index, placed India at 161st out of 180 countries. This is eleven ranks below India’s position in 2022.