Indian journalists turn to YouTube as press freedom declines under Modi • FRANCE 24 English



Indian journalists turn to YouTube as press freedom declines under Modi • FRANCE 24 English

for the past 13 years anuba Bosley has worked as a presenter for CNN news8 a channel which according to her has now morphed into a government mouthpiece today far from the TV sets this journalist has launched her independent digital news platform the morning meeting just did not focus on important news stories we were not explaining we were not trying to cover holistically we were not covering large parts of this country and putting out work that was Frankly Speaking bad quality that was polarizing the markers were very very clear to me uh we were not focused on anything that felt even remotely in public interest I think more than that there was a complete decimation of what The Newsroom is supposed to do YouTube has become the last refuge for independent Indian journalists 6 years ago Akash banerji was one of the first to join the platform with 4 million subscribers he offers daily analysis of the ruling Hindu nationalist government policies while the internet grants him a unique freedom of expression it doesn’t Shield him from potential government backlash government is actually concerned about the growth of YouTubers in India uh because for folks like us lawyers and accountants are our first best friends because that’s where you will get hit first either it’s going to be your accounts criminal defamation case or hurting religious sentiments but if the system wants to get you no one can save you it’s hard for dissenting voices to exist as the the platform is flooded with prover media The Narrative research lab examined 2,800 Indian media YouTube videos in 2024 revealing a consistent Trend India’s political opposition is systematically discredited to benefit Narendra modi’s Hindu nationalist party one video after another they built an audience and today some of them have up to I think 10 million followers after years of watching a certain kind of Television uh people people have started to enjoy political positioning in a certain way according to the reports published by Google in 2023 the Indian government requested the removal of over 3,500 YouTube videos citing defamation and criticism of the government getting

Since Narendra Modi’s election, India’s standing in RSF’s press freedom rankings has steadily declined. In 2023, the country found itself ranked 161st out of 180 nations. Now, some journalists, including some former star presenters, are setting up their own YouTube channels in an effort to continue independent and impartial reporting away from the TV news channels they say have become propaganda machines for Modi’s Hindu nationalist government.
#India #press #freedom

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18 comments
  1. Mainstream media is completely sold to the ruling party who run its one-sided propaganda. No media channel is concerned about the issues which affect people's lives

  2. 1:22 If the system wants to get you, then no one can save you

    This only leaves us with only 2 options :
    1) The system doesn't want to get you, which is in deep contrast of what you claim
    2) You were born with Kavach Kundal like Karna hence invincible, even system is powerless in front of Banerjee babu

  3. HUGE 🚨 EAM S JAISHANKAR exposes Western Media like never before 🔥🔥

    He said "Western media criticises our democracy not because they lack information but because they think they are also players in our election"

    "They say BJP is so unfair, they question EVM, election commission, even the weather"

    "They think how can these chaps decide who should be ruling them without consulting us?"

    "I want to say them listen, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run. I think it's time today that we disabuse them" ⚡- EAM S Jaishankar

  4. West is displeased by India's increasing assertiveness and aggressiveness, as it poses a challenge to its global dominance. They prefer a submissive leadership in India that can be easily controlled and influenced.

    During the ongoing election season in India, they are promoting an anti-India narrative through their influence in various sectors such as media, academia, and legal institutions.

    This includes spreading misinformation, sophistry, and subterfuge to deceive the public. Both the West and communist China are working together to ensure the defeat of Modi, employing similar tactics and strategies.

  5. Sorry to disappoint you but these so called journalists were never the mainstream journalists. They are more leftist spokesperson. They can't be hired anymore because media houses also know their truth. In my 40years I have not seen them much in media. But your report claims as if they were famous but suddenly got sidetracked

  6. More power to honest journalists! Yes, this problem is a worldwide one. In the UK, BBC has become synonymous with unconditional support of the Conservative government. In Canada, the mainstream media has been taken over by, and serves, the Conservative Party so that there is no real understanding of what is truly happening. They constantly attack and belittle a very good federal government while ignoring corrupt provincial governments. In the US there is still a diversity of opinion but too many media outlets support the Republicans, also the right wing. And the same abuse of the Democrats occurs that is seen in Canada against the Liberals. While it is true that the CBC in Canada is funded by the government the journalists there are afraid that their own jobs will be lost should the Conservatives come to power. And that is a correct assumption. Unfortunately, the CBC journalists tend to support the Conservatives as well. Unfortunately, the rest of media is owned by extremely wealthy people and they want the perks of having a government that serves their interests, which applies to every country. Interestingly, the wealthy don't seem to understand that they got that way because of liberalism/ Liberals who made it possible for more people to have money to spend. If the majority of the people are simply struggling to survive, we won't have money to buy the products the wealthy are selling. Very short sighted on the part of those people! Best of luck and keep up the great work!

  7. Lol no press freedom? Name one policy of Modi. Literally any policy, which has not be criticized to the high heavens. Name one policy

  8. You guys don't realise the heights of misinformation opposition is spreading on the ground level. As a country you want to grow the people as a whole, rewarding excellence. But the opposition is playing on targeting the fear of vulnerable groups and trying to voice them a disconnect from the country, propagating regionalism and a modern day caste-system where you want to be a part of anciently discriminated caste to reap benefits from the government.

    For you western society to understand, all this can be summed up as Secular Communism on the part of opposition. And through these news of negligence you are helping them spread this ideology of communism, which you fight against on daily basis, back it up in our country.

  9. Yea you'll never see France 24 talk about how France is holding many Sahel African countries hostage by manipulating their currency, manipulating leadership. What has happened to Haiti after French colonialism, the only colony that truly rebelled against an empire.

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