State of Press Freedom in South Asia
The 23rd Annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2024-25 presents a critical analysis of the media landscape in South Asia, encompassing India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.
Key Findings
- The report highlights that Indian media has been "shackled" with systemic strategies aimed at crippling press freedom.
- There is a noted "growing trust deficit in media outlets" and "choking of independent websites."
- The precarious situation of gig workers, challenged further by Artificial Intelligence (AI), is emphasized.
Country-Specific Insights
- Pakistan: Described as an authoritarian regime in disguise, witnessing the most violent year for journalists in two decades with eight journalists killed.
- India: The section 'India: Propaganda and the Press' discusses the proliferation of hate speech and disinformation, largely propagated by political parties' IT cells.
Challenges and Legal Environment
- Noted an increasingly hostile legal environment in India due to the use of laws like defamation, sedition, UAPA, and PMLA to curb media freedom.
- Reports critical of the government have led to self-censorship due to fear of legal repercussions.
- Authoritarian efforts include media crackdowns, journalist harassment, arbitrary detentions, and raids by financial crime enforcement bodies.
Freedom of Speech and Expression
- There is an ongoing suppression of freedom of speech under the pretexts of national security, public order, and misinformation prevention.
- The Global Risks Report 2024 identifies manipulated information as a significant short-term global risk, with India being highly vulnerable to misinformation.
Media Industry Challenges
- Issues like a shrinking job market, increased use of AI in content creation, declining ad revenues, and new labor codes favoring contract work are affecting the media workforce.
- Freelance journalism is increasingly precarious due to media restructuring from mergers and acquisitions.
Opportunities in Digital Transition
- The report acknowledges that the media's digital shift has opened up opportunities for alternative media to serve as a counterbalance to traditional media.