India Government Bias
Government
Government Type: Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
Leader: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Political Party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Political Position: National Conservatism
Press Freedom
World Press Freedom Rank: India 150/180
According to Reporters without Borders, India’s journalists are “Attacked online and physically” For example, the report states, “Those who espouse Hindutva, the ideology that gave rise to Hindu nationalism, are trying to purge all manifestations of “anti-national” thought from the national debate.” Further, in 2018 six journalists were murdered.
Media Ownership and Government Analysis
According to USA-based Freedom House, privately-owned media are “vigorous and diverse.” However, it says that the authorities use “security, defamation, and hate speech legislation to curb critical voices.” The Media Ownership Monitor reports that a few wealthy families and corporations control the huge media market of India. The analysis concludes that “76% of the market is controlled by four entities: Dainik Jagran, Hindustan, Amar Ujala, and Dainik Bhaskar.” This indicates a significant corporate bias.
Further, The Bureau of Outreach & Communication details the guidelines for Government advertising, which consists of a significant portion of advertising revenue for Indian Newspapers. In other words, the Government is the primary advertiser in media, which is also the primary source of revenue for media outlets. This leads to significant pro-Government bias, as the Government will spend more to advertise in outlets that are supportive of them.
In summary, the Government of India has a powerful influence on the media that limits press freedom and encourages self-censorship.
Last Updated on May 8, 2022 by Media Bias Fact Check
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources
The Latest from MBFC Bias and Fact Checks - Media News
- The Latest Fact Checks curated by Media Bias Fact Check 06/28/2022by Media Bias/Fact Check on June 28, 2022 at 10:30 am
- Daily Source Bias Check: Chronicles Magazineby Media Bias/Fact Check on June 28, 2022 at 8:00 am
- Clarence Thomas signals interest in making it easier to sue mediaby Media Bias/Fact Check on June 27, 2022 at 4:23 pm
- The Latest Fact Checks curated by Media Bias Fact Check 06/27/2022by Media Bias/Fact Check on June 27, 2022 at 10:30 am
- Daily Source Bias Check: Kenosha Newsby Media Bias/Fact Check on June 27, 2022 at 8:00 am
- The Latest Fact Checks curated by Media Bias Fact Check 06/26/2022by Media Bias/Fact Check on June 26, 2022 at 10:30 am