NOB-Bharat news: It is sad that India is ranked 151st out of 180 countries in the global press freedom index, lower than neighboring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives, said CCGGOO National Chairman V. Krishna Mohan. He said that shackles to press freedom are a threat to democracy. He said that the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders has been publishing the World Press Freedom Index since 2002, and although the United Nations agency UNESCO has been celebrating “World Press Freedom Day” on May 3rd every year since 1993, this is the first time that the index has classified the state of global press freedom as critical. He said that World Press Freedom Day is being observed to mark the occasion of the “Windhoek Declaration” for press freedom, independence and pluralism in 1991. The report said that India’s performance in the press freedom index is in the “very serious” category, and it is regrettable that India is also on the list of countries where media pluralism is threatened due to the concentration of media ownership in the hands of political giants. It is noteworthy that Reporters Without Borders expressed concern that the country’s media has fallen into an “unofficial state of emergency” since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, explaining in its section on India that the BJP has created a remarkable rapprochement between the big families that dominate the media. The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that Mukesh Ambani, a close friend of the Prime Minister, owns more than 70 media outlets and that the Adani Group’s acquisition of NDTV marks the end of pluralism in the mainstream media. It also described Prime Minister Modi’s approach to the media, noting that the pro-BJP media, known as the Godi media, has increased. “The Prime Minister does not hold press conferences. He gives interviews only to journalists who are in his favor. He severely criticizes those who do not show loyalty,” the report said. It is also noteworthy that Indian journalists who criticize the Modi government have faced harassment from pro-BJP trolls. He said that there is no free press without financial freedom, and that when news media outlets are in financial difficulties, they compete to attract audiences by offering quality reports, and they may fall prey to imperialists and government officials who try to exploit them. He said that the theme of World Press Freedom Day-2025 is “Reporting in the Digital Age: Impact of AI on Press Freedom”. There are also misinformation, lack of information, and deepfake technology scams with AI. Biased information, increased surveillance on journalists, lack of equal pay, print and electronic media going into the hands of selfish politicians, and the dilution of values in the press sector have increased over this decade. Atrocities such as the rise of yellow journalism, assassination attempts on journalists, silencing of journalists, and the entry of politics into journalism have also increased significantly during this period. The entry of monopoly capitalists into the media has also become a major problem. Protecting press freedom amidst such trends and problems is a matter of sword. Condemning attacks on honest journalists, holding the corrupt accountable, maintaining transparency, and promoting accountability should be done. He said that achieving global unity, uniting various media groups, establishing international platforms to protect press freedom, and creating awareness among the public are very necessary in the current situation. Political, legal, economic, and social factors affect press freedom. If press freedom is shackled, injustice reigns, poverty is rampant. Justice, development, and the protection of constitutional values become a concern. That is why press freedom contributes greatly to democracy. People are informed about many things and justice is served. V. Krishna Mohan warned that governments should not act in a way that stifles the voice of the people, as they will not forgive the future generation of rulers if they act in a way that hides the truth, such as today’s freedom of the press, protection of the rights of journalists, and security of media friends said V. Krishna Mohan,National Chairman, Confederation of Central Government Gazetted Officers’ Organization (CCGGOO), (M) 9182189533 Hyderabad.
