This week we will be turning our sights to India as we take a look at their relationship with media and politics. India is in a bit of a unique situation as it is the most populated nation in the world, sitting at 1.42 billion people. Their social standards and practices are extremely unique to many regions of the world and range from some of the wealthiest people in the world to some of the poorest. This juxtaposition of money and power has the ability to create unfair practices both politically and socially, which could be reflected in their mass media.
A recent study covering, "30 Indian newspapers and 41 Indian TV channels with the largest viewership rates in the country confirms the existence of rampant media bias," spread throughout the entire state (Mohan). Such bias exists due to political pressure that reflects in advertisements and fundings provided by the government to the media companies. This pressure creates a space where the media companies feel the need to speak highly of the government and politicians in order to receive much needed funding in order to stay in business.
Research has shown that the extreme amounts of media bias contribute, "significantly to democratic backsliding," as it harms journalists and prevents, "freedom of expression and government accountability," which influences voters (Mohan). Studies have shown that, "media bias in itself causes democratic backsliding because the media neither holding the government accountable nor informing the public about policies that strengthen the incumbent's power can increase authoritarian practices," which has been seen more recently in India (Mohan). It will certainly be interesting to see in the coming years if the relationship between media and politics strengthens or continues to weaken in India and how that will impact the state as a whole.
Mohan, J. (2022, November 16). Media bias and democracy in india • stimson center. Stimson Center. https://www.stimson.org/2021/media-bias-and-democracy-in-india/
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