More than 2500 journalists have been killed in the world since 1990, and a survey warned, on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, of a growing trend of journalists being targeted for the work they do.
The climate for journalism in India grew steadily adverse in 2017. A host of perpetrators made reporters and photographers, even editors, fair game as there were murders, attacks, threats, and cases filed against them for defamation, sedition, and internet related offences. It was a year in which two journalists were shot at point blank range and killed, and one was hacked to death as police stood by and did not stop the mob.
Law makers became law breakers as members of parliament and legislatures figured among the perpetrators of attacks or threats. These cases included a minister from UP who threatened to set a journalist on fire, and an MLA from Chirala in Andhra Pradesh and his brother accused of being behind a brutal attack on a magazine journalist.
If Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav threatened to punch a Republic TV reporter in the face, his son Tejaswini’s guards assaulted reporters and photographers when they arrived at his house to get his reaction to an FIR being lodged against him on corruption charges.
Eleven journalists were murdered in the course of the year in India in 2017. Three of these cases had a clear linkage with their journalistic work. One murder, that of Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh, took place in Karnataka and two others in Tripura.
Now talking about the B’wood styled assassination of late Gauri Lankesh who was the Editor of the Kannada publication “Gauri Lankesh Patrike”, till date, there has been no arrest made and the Karnataka police is still into the probe!
FACT FILE OF 2017
3 killings of journalists which can be clearly linked to their journalism
46 attacks
27 cases of police action including detentions, arrests and cases filed.
12 cases of threats
Crisis Around the Globe
Also according to a census of annual report on Journalists killed and imprisoned, every year, the Committee to Protect Journalists releases its comprehensive list of all journalists killed in relation to their work, including profiles of each journalist and a database, and an annual census of journalists in jail. Turkey, China and Egypt accounted for more than half of all journalists jailed globally. The number of journalists killed can be a strong statistic to measure the dangers facing media professionals when reporting, but it is not the only threat they face. The year 2017 also marked the highest number of imprisonments – 262 – in almost three decades.
No Model for Democratic Press!
The problem with media in India, the world’s largest democracy, is enormous. India doesn’t have a model for a democratic press. The Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has published a report on India stating that Indian journalists are forced—or feel compelled for the sake of job security—to report in ways that reflect the political opinions and corporate interests of shareholders. This report written by Ravi S Jha says “Indian journalism, with its lack of freedom and self-regulation, cannot be trusted now—it is currently known for manipulation and bias.”
Bearing the Duty
Only 13% of the world population enjoys a free press, where coverage of politics is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, and state intrusion in media affairs is minimal. But, each time we talk about press freedom, let us also talk about an unbiased and responsible journalism which doesn’t spread lies and misinformation as against its very basic principles! Let free and fair speech prevail.
Worst and Best
Every year, Reporters Without Borders establish a subjective ranking of countries in terms of their freedom of the press.
In a recent survey, the countries where press was the most free were Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand, followed by Costa Rica, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica. The country with the least degree of press freedom was Eritrea, followed by North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria, China, Vietnam and Sudan.
WHEN VOICES WERE SILENCED!
India is ranked 136th among 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index (2017) of Reporters Sans Frontiers and the country is just ahead of its neighbours Pakistan (139), Sri Lanka (141) and Bangladesh (146).
Norway tops the media freedom index, whereas one party-ruled North Korea (180) is placed at the very bottom. Neighbouring countries like Bhutan (84), Nepal (100), Maldives (117), Afghanistan (120) and Myanmar (131) ensure better press freedom for their citizens than India does.
Talking about India, the country marked a completely unsafe ecosystem for media with a number of Journalists dead:
Gauri Lankesh
Editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike
Murder on: Sep 5, 2017
Dead with four bullets wounds on her head and chest
Wrote against Sangh organisations and communal violence in India.
Santanu Bhowmik
Channel Dinraat television station
Murder on: 20 September 2017
Killed while covering the raasta roko (road blockade) by Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT)
Attacked with sharp weapons and found dead soon.
Sudip Datta Bhaumik
Reporter of Bengali language newspaper Syandan Patrika
Murder on: 21 November 2017
Killed by a police officer of the Tripura State Rifles during an altercation
Dharmendra Singh
Dainik Bhaskar reporter
Murder on: November 2016
Singh used to write frequently on local stone chips mafia
Bike-borne assailants opened fire at him while his morning walk
Indradev Yadav
TV journalist, for Kolkata-based Hindi news channel Taaza TV
Murder on: May 2016
Shot dead near his home while he was on his motorcycle in Chatra district in Jharkhand.
Maoists splinter group Tritiya-Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TPC) had demanded Rs. 7 lakh from the journalist as levy. He was killed when he did not agree to pay them.
Rajdev Ranjan
Bureau Chief of Dainik Hindustan
Murder on: May 2016
Two bullets were shot was killed when he was returning home from the office on a bike in Siwan in Bihar
Ranjan had reported against former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, at least four times.
Kishore Dave
Bureau chief of a Gujarati newspaper called ‘Jai Hind’
Murder on: Aug 2016
Dave was stabbed repeatedly in the chest around 9 pm, while he was writing a story
Murdered by his side business partner, Firoz.
Tarun Mishra
Bureau chief of the Jan Sandesh Times – a Hindi newspaper in Sultanpur
Murder on: February 2016
Two gunmen on a motorcycle stopped the car and had shot Mishra
Targeted for writing against illegal activities in Uttar Pradesh
World Press Freedom Day gives people the chance to pay tribute to media professionals who risked or lost their lives in the line of duty. But this world press freedom day we will rather talk about why the hell are we at the stage of paying tribute to those heroes and why besides all the so called freedom guaranteed by our constitution democracy is still at stake?
Know with THE CAPITAL POST what eminent journalists have to say on this world press freedom day.
SUPRIYO PRASAD
Managing Editor Aaj Tak
“Journalism is not at all at stake. The environment is ok for people who want to work. But, I have no words for liaisoners and flatterers. Yes, it is a challenging job, but after all it is you who has chosen this field. So, you will be in danger, be prepared!”
ALOK MEHTA
Former President, Editors Guild of India, Padma Shree
“As compared to European and American ecosystems, Indian Press has much more freedom! It largely depends on the reporters, the editors and the owners that how much freedom they want to utilize. If one follows the code of conduct and remains unbiased, there is no harm.”
ALKA SAXENA
Senior Journalist
“The journalists are addressed by the PM as “news traders” and a “prestitute” by the External Affairs Minister. This has never ever happened in the history. World’s largest democracy is ranked 136th in press safety index. This itself alarms that we are into threat!”
RAHUL DEV
Senior Journalist
“We are in an unprecedented situation at the moment in media. Journalism is globally under pressure today. US along with south Asian countries and China are also facing challenges in journalism. Free, fearless, and balanced press is critical for India to occupy the supreme place of global thought liberation.”
QAMAR WAHEED NAQVI
Senior Journalist
“We are hearing “Nationalist Journalism” for the very first time during the current govt.’s tenure. Earlier, was Anti-nationalist journalism happening in the country? The media at large has become the mouth piece of the govt. It itself been indulged in publicizing the govt. has been never seen before.”
VINOD DUA
Senior Journalist
“For the first time press-censorship was announced during Emergency. Situation is even worst today, but is unannounced. You were asked to bend, but you chose to crawl! The major culprits are the owners who have lots to hide. They have become courtiers.”
VED PRATAP VAIDIK
Senior Journalist
“There always remains a sense of danger; danger lies in the hearts and minds. But if you are strong headed, one can survive even in a dictatorship. One who doesn’t wants to be a slave, shall enjoy full freedom. I write every-day. But I am alive!”
JAIDEEP KARNIK
Senior Journalist
“Journalism has always been challenging because it reveals truth. Alike Police and soldiers, a journalist’s life is always at risk. The Press Council of India is also not vested with powers. Government should make strict rules against such dangers.”
Dr. Praveen Tiwari
Journalist/Author
“India is far better and ahead than other countries. The very fact that we are discussing and writing it, itself shows that we enjoy freedom. Moreover, if one of the part of media is speaking for the govt. then on the other hand other parts do exist who are equally raising voice against the govt. This is called check and balance!”
Dreaming of A Better India!
“The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses” – Malcolm X, African-American human rights activist
In India, we call ‘Press’ the fourth estate of democracy. But unfortunately, it is also the most unsafe bunch of people in the country. The profession neither offers good remuneration nor any safety. India finds itself in a shameful position with this year’s tally of 12 journalists either murdered or killed in suspicious situations. The largest democracy in the world thus emerges as one of the most hazardous places for media persons after Mexico, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, etc.
Freedom of speech and expression is the blood of democracy, palpitation of democracy, control of the government and creates awareness among the people. Growth and development of representative democracy is so much intertwined with growth of press that the press has come to be recognized as an institutional limb of modern democracy. But then why on the contrary the habitat for the watch dogs remains so unsafe and insecure? Nothing is at the right place. We rank 133rd in global happiness index, 92nd in the world education status, 103rd in world safety index and now 136th in the world press freedom status. We should better look forward to revive from this depressive situation soon!