The news media is under threat due to various internal factors.
What are the problems in this regard?
Paid news had been a long debated issue that was used to describe malpractices in newspapers.
This is now being rephrased into “advertorial” content to legitimise and blur the distinction between reportage and paid content.
Ex: A government policy keeps appearing in news in the form of advertisements from the known beneficiary of that policy.These in essence are politicised news.
The prevalence of bribed reporters, lobbying senior editors and politically biased journalists questions the legitimacy and ethics of the news media.
Corporates have huge financial stakes and significant control over print or visual media.
This has allegedly led to blurring of distinction between managerial/ownership activities and editorial jurisdiction.
It is also being the cause for corruption and conflict of interest which are increasingly operating in the news media.
TRP (Television Rating Point) and sensationalism are being the driving factors as they determine the advertising revenue.
The legislative and regulatory powers of the Press Council of India (PCI) is inadequate to take stringent measures against all these.
What should be done?
Some ownership restrictions on cross holdings and aggregate holdings have to be legislated.
Legislation must also define the distinctions between managerial and editorial departments to avoid conflict of interest.
Working on labour standards to let journalists work without fear of retribution, to refuse any form of work that infringes upon their professional codes or conscience is essential.
Creating genuinely independent and transparent systems for assessing circulation and ratings of media is needed.
Introducing internal systems for disclosing potential conflicts of interest and to deal with complaints.
