[WEBCAST] Indian Media and Journalism: Evaluating the Fourth Pillar
VIEW EVENT DETAILSThe India Digital News Report 2019 published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), shows that an overwhelming 68% of Indian respondents identified smartphones as being their primary device for news consumption. This instantaneous and easy access to news has evidently influenced journalism, information sharing and news broadcast in India. News has moved beyond just the morning newspaper and prime time on television, which has allowed smaller and independent media houses to flourish. Digital news is casting a wider net on stories, big and small. Case in point being the expansive coverage of the humanitarian crisis of migrant workers during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Traditional print newspapers and publications are now facing the two-fold challenge of shrinking reader bases and revenue losses. There is increasing competition, as consumers have myriad options to source both information and infotainment. Hence, TV channels are also finding novel ways in which they can compete with digital platforms while meeting the expenses of running a sophisticated infrastructure for programming.
In India, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is the nodal agency that regulates print, TV and digital media. Independent bodies of the Ministry like the Press Council of India and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority are tasked with the aim of maintaining transparency and accountability in the sector. Although the Prasar Bharti Act, the Cable Networks Act and the Information Technology Act provide a legal mechanism for conflict resolution, these laws have yet to adapt to the nuances of digital news and the fast-changing discourse in the sector.
In this race to grab a share of mind and share of heart, is journalism in India becoming obtrusive? What modifications should Indian media laws undergo to address the trends ushered in by digital channels? How can media accountability and regulatory frameworks be further strengthened? How can high-quality journalism, a democratic asset, redefine itself in the age of digital communications?
Join us for a conversation with Sanjaya Baru, former media advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, James Crabtree, British author and journalist and Madhu Trehan, senior journalist and Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Newslaundry. The discussion will be moderated by Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18.
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Sanjaya Baru is a Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies & Analysis (IDSA) & United Service Institution of India (USI). He has been editor of India's major financial newspapers, The Economic Times, Financial Express and Business Standard. Mr Baru was the Media Advisor to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Director for Geo-economics and Strategy, International Institute of Strategic Studies, London. He was a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board in 1999-2001 and member of the Governing Board of the Centre for Policy Research.
Madhu Trehan is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the digital media portal, Newslaundry. Ms Trehan has been the Founding Editor of India Today magazine and has several years of experience in journalism. In 2000, Ms Trehan launched Wah India, a website and print magazine. She is one of the pioneers of investigative journalism in India having produced and anchored Newstrack, India's first video news magazine. Ms Trehan has written and continues to write for leading news magazines and newspapers such as Outlook India, Indian Express and Hindustan Times among others.
James Crabtree is a Singapore-based author and journalist, and Associate Professor of Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His best-selling book The Billionaire Raj was short-listed for the FT / McKinsey book of the year. His career has spanned both policy and media, including working at the Financial Times, and as an advisor in the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Mr Crabtree has written for a range of global publications, including the New York Times, the Economist, Wired, and Foreign Policy.
Shereen Bhan is the Managing Director of the leading business TV news channel CNBC-TV18. Ms Bhan has more than two decades of experience in journalism and has anchored and produced several shows like Young Turks, India Business Hour, The Nation’s Business and Power Turks. She also anchors and puts together CNBC-TV18’s ground events like the Managing India Brainstorm and the CNBC Industry Vectors. In 2005, Ms Bhan was awarded the FICCI Woman of the Year award.