Informed, not influenced | Md Saqlain Jameel | TEDxSt Pauls College

Key Concepts

• Press Freedom Index
• Internet Shutdowns
• Media Ownership & Funding
• Historical Role of Indian Newspapers
• Trust in Media (TV vs. YouTube/WhatsApp)
• Media Entrepreneurship Challenges
• News Hamster's Approach
• Algorithms & Reach
• The Role of Social Media in Movements
• Media Literacy
• Journalism vs. Influencer Content
• Rigor, Accountability, Ethics in Journalism
• The Four W's and One H
• Informed Citizenry

India's Media Landscape: A Paradox

The speaker highlights a paradoxical situation in India's media landscape.

• Contradictory Statistics: India ranks low in the World Press Freedom Index (151st out of 180) and has a high number of internet shutdowns, despite being the largest democracy and having the second-highest number of internet users globally.
• High Media Volume: India has a vast media presence with numerous TV channels (900 private satellite TV channels, 1400 TV broadcast stations), registered publications (1 lakh), and a large newspaper market (240 million copies daily).
• Funding Model: The speaker argues that the reliance on government and corporate funding, rather than subscriptions, makes the audience the product, not the consumer. "This means that you are not paying for the news. It's the government that's paying for the news or it's the corporate that's paying for the news. And that means you are not the consumer. You are the product."

Historical Context: The Power of Independent Journalism

The speaker draws a parallel between the current media landscape and the role of newspapers during India's freedom struggle.

• Examples: Kesari (Bal Gangadhar Tilak), Amrit Bazar Patrika (Sasir Kumar Gosh), and Young India (Mahatma Gandhi) are cited as examples of newspapers that challenged British rule by reporting the truth and educating the Indian audience.
• Significance: These newspapers "shook the foundations of British Empire in India" and played a vital role in the independence movement.

The Shift in Media Landscape Post-Independence

The speaker discusses the evolution of Indian media after independence.

• Government Control: Initially, media was primarily controlled by the government (e.g., Doordarshan, All India Radio).
• Liberalization and Privatization: The advent of liberalization, privatization, and globalization led to the rise of private channels, transforming media from a public service to a commercial entity.
• Trust Deficit: According to the Lokiti CSDS study, TV news is the least trusted medium, while YouTube news consumption has increased significantly (70% in the last 3 years). WhatsApp forwards reach a massive audience (487 million users daily), becoming major news distributors.
• Financial Structure: The Indian media industry is valued at ₹2.3 lakh crore (approximately $27 billion), but less than 10% comes from subscriptions, with over 80% relying on ads, sponsorships, and political spending. This financial model is seen as detrimental to journalistic integrity.

The Challenges of Media Entrepreneurship

The speaker, a media entrepreneur himself, discusses the difficulties of building a sustainable independent media platform.

• The Myth: The common perception of media entrepreneurship is that it's a path to "explode the truth," "go viral," and "change the world."
• The Reality: Building a platform and sustaining it is difficult because people are unwilling to pay for online news.
• Funding Constraints: Securing funding for "truth and honest journalism" is challenging unless one is willing to compromise journalistic integrity by accepting "fairness ads and political ads."

News Hamster: A Case Study in Truth-Seeking Journalism

The speaker shares the story of News Hamster, a media platform he founded.

• Starting Point: News Hamster was launched in 2019, going against conventional business wisdom. It lacked legacy infrastructure, established reporters, investors, and even basic office equipment.
• Core Principle: The platform focused on "what if news stops chasing virality and news starts chasing the truth."
• Content Focus: News Hamster prioritized covering rural voices, Dalit voices, and forgotten stories.
• Evolution: Over time, the team and production quality grew, and the platform adapted to audience needs while maintaining its commitment to truth.
• Daily Struggles: The platform faces constant challenges in fighting for reach, combating algorithms, engaging readers, and securing funding without compromising its values.

The Power of Citizen Journalism and Social Media

Despite the challenges, the speaker remains hopeful, citing the role of social media in driving change.

• Social Media Movements: The Me Too movement and the climate change movement are presented as examples of significant movements that originated from individuals sharing their experiences and ideas on social media. "The biggest movements, biggest changes, biggest revolutions that have happened in the recent past have not happened in the newsroom. They started in a bedroom on your bed typing out a tweet."

Media Literacy: A Survival Skill

The speaker emphasizes the importance of media literacy in the current information landscape.

• Misinformation: The speaker warns against believing everything one hears, as it can lead to the acceptance of misinformation and fake news.
• Media Literacy as a Necessity: Media literacy is presented as a "survival skill" for discerning truth from falsehood.

Distinguishing Journalism from Influencer Content

The speaker differentiates between journalism and influencer content.

• Influencers vs. Journalists: While influencers may report daily happenings quickly and creatively, their content often lacks the rigor, accountability, and ethics of journalism. "Influencers are not journalists and reals are not reports. These are two different things."
• Journalistic Process: Journalism involves verification, cross-checking, and thorough investigation before publication. "As a journalist, when somebody says it's raining outside, it's my responsibility to put my head on the window and check if it's raining or sunny."
• The Four W's and One H: Journalism is grounded in the principles of the four W's (Who, What, When, Where) and one H (How).
• Emotion vs. Evidence: The speaker cautions against mistaking emotion for evidence, emphasizing that emotional reporting by influencers does not constitute journalism.
• Journalism as Public Service: Journalism is defined as a public service that should be treated with respect.

The Importance of an Informed Citizenry

The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of an informed citizenry.

• Being Informed: Being informed requires being awake, observant, questioning everything, and verifying information before sharing it.
• News Hamster's Mission: News Hamster aims to provide a space for truth-telling in a chaotic media environment.
• Citizen's Role: The speaker emphasizes that citizens shape the media landscape and encourages them to be informed rather than influenced. "In the end media depends on its citizens. So the citizens we are we make the media that is out there. So the choice for you is always clear that you must be informed not influenced."

Conclusion

The speaker paints a complex picture of the Indian media landscape, highlighting the challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity in a commercially driven environment. He emphasizes the importance of media literacy, the need to distinguish journalism from influencer content, and the crucial role of an informed citizenry in shaping a responsible and truthful media ecosystem. The story of News Hamster serves as an example of a platform striving to uphold journalistic values in the face of significant obstacles.