How the media has been used or misused in politics and democracy in India?

 

India ranks so badly for press freedom because much of the media has simply stopped doing its job.

So why is it then that India – a country with a free press and an independent judiciary – does so badly on global indices measuring media freedom? What has happened over the past few years is that a major section of the media has crossed over to the dark side.

Without being formally censored or compelled by other means, these media houses have simply stopped doing their job. They have stopped asking difficult questions about the government and its policies. Many, sadly, have become mouthpieces of official propaganda. Some do not think twice about promoting religious polarisation and even hatred in pursuit of the political agenda of the ruling party.

There is also a major section of the media which is reluctant to be seen rocking the boat mainly because their proprietors have business interests that could be jeopardised. It is commonplace for governments at the central and state level to use official advertising as a lever of influence on the media.

In line with the global trend, social media has been increasingly used by Indian politicians for routine political communication to directly connect with their supporters. However, unethical practices online by political actors have led to a spike in violence and affected decision-making on the national security front.

Social media played a prominent role during the 2019 Indian general elections as political parties, politicians, and supporters used it extensively for political campaigning and communication. Social media platforms have been integrated into routinised political communication since the 2014 general elections, which swept the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power. This shift builds on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP’s extensive use of social media in the run-up to the 2019 elections and during his first term in office.  

Using social media to bypass traditional media and ignore critics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has developed a distinct style. Also, with other political parties jumping on the social media bandwagon, the landscape of political communication in India has never been so heterogeneous, inclusive, fragmented, energetic, chaotic, creative, and equally polarising at the same time.