According to science, all living organisms thrive on others. One's weakness becomes a source of success for others. This principle seems to hold true in the case of India's mass media. In a country of 1.4 billion people, 77.7% are classified as literate. However, in India, literacy is often reduced to the mere ability to write one’s name, meaning that functional literacy and informed understanding remain out of reach for a significant portion of the population. In this scenario, nearly one-third of Indians are still illiterate, and approximately 800 million people rely on government aid, popularly known as the ration system. Unemployment is another alarming issue, with reports indicating that nearly 38% of IIT graduates are struggling to find jobs in 2024.
Amidst these socio-economic challenges, India's mass media industry thrives, capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of the population. Instead of serving as an independent and reliable source of information, the industry, which encompasses both electronic and print media, has transformed into a business entity with a market size projected to reach a thousand billion Indian rupees. This immense financial power comes at a significant cost—the erosion of journalistic integrity and public trust.
The Role of Media: A Distorted Reality
The fundamental role of mass media should be to inform, educate, and empower citizens to make their own decisions regarding right and wrong. However, in contemporary India, media outlets have deviated from their ethical responsibility. Instead of presenting well-researched facts and unbiased news, they have become platforms for political propaganda, sensational debates, and endless speculation. Discussions in television studios are dominated by political spokespersons who engage in verbal duels rather than addressing the real issues affecting the nation. Consequently, the interests of the audience take a backseat to the vested interests of media owners and their political affiliations.
Indian media houses operate with the implicit understanding that the public’s memory is volatile and short-lived. People consume news like fast food—quickly, without deep engagement, and without processing the information into knowledge. Media outlets exploit this tendency, ensuring that there is no compulsion to be fair, transparent, or accountable. They bank on the idea that viewers will simply move on to the next controversy without questioning past inaccuracies or biased reporting.
The 2024 Lok Sabha Election: A Case Study in Media Bias
The extent of Indian media’s bias became glaringly evident during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. From the moment the election was announced, almost all major media houses began an orchestrated campaign to push a single narrative—the ruling party’s assured victory with a historic mandate. The slogan “Abki Baar 400 Paar” (This Time, 400+ Seats) became the mantra across news channels and newspapers, with media houses acting as unofficial campaigners rather than independent observers.
The democratic principle of a strong opposition, essential for holding the government accountable, was utterly disregarded. Instead of providing balanced coverage, the media actively vilified opposition parties, portraying them as ineffective and incapable. To cement this perception, they flooded the public discourse with pre-election surveys and exit polls that conveniently aligned with the ruling party’s campaign slogan. These so-called “analyses” were presented with absolute certainty, leaving little room for doubt.
However, when the election results were announced on June 4, 2024, reality painted a starkly different picture. The ruling party fell short of the hyped-up expectations, and the much-touted “400 Paar” proved to be an overblown myth. The entire media narrative collapsed overnight, exposing the fabricated nature of their claims. Yet, instead of acknowledging their miscalculations or offering public apologies, media houses swiftly moved on as if nothing had happened.
The Lack of Accountability in Indian Media
Despite dedicating months to amplifying a misleading election narrative, the Indian mass media refused to introspect or take responsibility. There were no corrections, no admissions of journalistic failure—just a convenient shift to new discussions, mostly targeting the opposition for finding joy in the election results. This behavior highlights a deeper issue: the self-proclaimed fourth pillar of democracy in India is largely unaccountable. Unlike in mature democracies where media credibility is a subject of rigorous scrutiny, Indian media operates under the assumption that it is beyond reproach.
This lack of accountability stems from a culture where journalists and media houses do not feel obligated to rectify their mistakes. They treat their statements as unquestionable truths, akin to the sacred waters of the Ganga, flowing freely without the burden of validation. This has made them incorrigible, reinforcing their tendency to serve as extensions of political machinery rather than as impartial reporters of truth.
The Way Forward
The deteriorating credibility of Indian mass media poses a serious challenge to democratic discourse. To restore public trust, media houses must recommit themselves to ethical journalism. Transparency in reporting, fact-based analysis, and impartiality should become the norm rather than the exception. Additionally, media literacy must be promoted among the Indian population to enable citizens to critically evaluate the information they consume.
Without these reforms, Indian mass media will continue to be a tool for misinformation and propaganda, failing in its fundamental duty to serve as the watchdog of democracy. The choice is clear—either reclaim the lost credibility or risk complete irrelevance in an era where people are beginning to seek alternative, more reliable sources of news.