Thread by @_FelixSimon_

Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of Indian journalism non-profit “The Wire” kicking off the @risj_oxford Memorial Lecture.

His prescient topic: What lies ahead for the media in India? And what can others learn from their example.

He describes a difficult environment for media and journalism: toxic atmosphere of social media, heated political atmosphere, jingoism of major section of Indian media

Three broad trends putting Indian journalism under pressure:
1. decreasing viability of business model
2. Social media being used as a “disciplining device”
3. Increasing resort to (extra)legal means to curb free press

Despite all their toxicity, social media platforms have levelled the playing field in terms of distribution for small, independent non-profits

Financial pressure has lead to cutback on news gathering operations. At the same time, rise in opinionated content.

Another big problem in Indian news: individuals/groups with an agenda paying for coverage - many traditional news organisations are complicit in this, says Varadarajan at @risj_oxford lecture.

He also says that it’s no coincidence that India PM Modhi does not talk to press - he doesn’t need to because he can bypass them.

And guess what he uses to do so? Twitter.

The Wire is under incredible pressure. Its annual budget: 1 million $

The politically motivated lawsuits against it amount to more than 1 billion $

And they are not only outlet being targeted.

Another massive problem: anti-government messages and critique - both from journalists and the public -is persecuted with (il)legal means.

Pro-government hate speech faces...nothing.

If the current trends continue, Varadarajan argues, the pressure on Indian media will increase from all sides - often in the name of protecting the public from hate speech.

Journalists and the media can and should fight the good fight - but they can only do so if the wider institutional system has integrity and respects them.

Essentially the system of checks and balances in India has already (been) eroded - and it continues to be hollowed out.

In essence, India is already where the US seems to be heading.

And now we are off to a high-powered panel discussion featuring @PostBaron @arusbridger & @kapur_ritu

Best to follow this on the @risj_oxford account and livestream.

@kapur_ritu confirms Varadarajan’s observation.

“You have to be nationalistic. Either you are with the government or not. Critical journalism is seen as hate speech against the government”

@PostBaron: “We are not at that stage yet” he says about US in comparison to India.

“But clearly we have a President who only favours the media that favours him”

“I don’t think we are anywhere close to the situation India. And I don’t want to go down that path”

“Trump wants himself to be the only arbiter of facts. He wants the media as his megaphone” - says @PostBaron

Varadarajan: “Trump is far more vicious in his attacks on the press than Modhi”

But the system is far more stacked against the press in India. “I would far prefer the US situation and system”

An important nugget from @PostBaron which applies not only to US: “The real crisis in journalism is in local journalism”

And so far no real solution exists for this crisis...

The dearth of local journalism means that power is not properly held to account.

Government officials know this - they know that no one is looking. And what happens then?

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