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Peuli Bakshi
3:07
Hello everyone, welcome to the panel discussion of Newslaundry on Reuter's Institute's digital news report 2021. The panel members include Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of the #Reuters Institute, Shashi Kumar, journalist and media entrepreneur, Supriya Sharma, executive editor of Scroll, and Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief of the News Minute. The discussion was moderated by Manisha Pande, executive editor of Newslaundry.
4:51
The moderator, Manisha started the conversation by explaining 'the concept of neutrality'. According to her, journalists are not neutralist enough. She poses a question regarding when one journalist can be in proper neutral state.
4:52
Dhaniya added to the conversation by saying “Neutrality does not exist because we are human beings. We should not aspire to be neutral.”
4:53
Manisha hurled another question at the listeners regarding what are neutrality implications for journalists.
4:54
Supriya joined in by saying, "Holding power to account is the mission of journalaism is a known fact."
4:55
According to Sashi Kumar, there is a value of neutrality and objectivity is an important factor.
4:56
Supriya said, "Every party involved must be given a chance to express their perception."
Sashi Kumar added to it by saying, "Mainstream media is fragmented, echo chambered."
4:57
Dhaniya said, “Infact in India, when such crimes happen like the Hathras rape case, they want it their way. I think people expect neutrality in different levels. We need to be objective but it is difficult to give both sides equal footing."
4:59
As per Supriya, "There should be no neutrality", and "many views must be there in place".
5:01
Manisha was of a similar opinion. She said we should trust our sources. She added, journalists procced as troop seekers.
She raised an important issue that if audience are not believing the journalists as neutral source, then where journalism is going.
5:02
According to Sashi kumar, there is no news bulletin.
5:03
Rasmus joined in the conversation by saying, "it's difficult to differentiate between weaponization of news."
5:05
He added, people have very low expectations. Not just in India but everywhere the public doesn't see mainstream journalists as watch dogs anymore.
5:06
Sashi Kumar mentioned about the brand trust report. He said both wire and republic being close to each other was quite strange.
5:07
Who Does India Trust for the News After Covid? The Reuters 2021 Digital News Report
Supriya said, "The lucrative incentives to news rooms is a threat to journalistic principles."
5:08
As per Manisha, private broadcasters majorly do debates.
Supriya said, "Just the basic information and reporting doesn't help the real journalism and can't build trust, on the news channel."
5:11
Manisha referred to the Covid-19 situation. She raised the question that after the second wave was there any shift and trust in your news consumers.
5:12
She talked of government's response to it as being against misleading with data.
5:13
Supriya said, "PPE kits, O2 supply in the oxygen scarce hospitals, stories such really helped many out there during the second wave of pandemic."
Dhaniya corrects Manisha’s questions about neutrality by saying, “DD is an echo chamber. One group believes us and another does not.”
5:14
Supriya said, "People started trusting journalists again during the Pandemic, is because of the depth of investigation and responsible and accountable reporting on part of journalists."
5:15
Dhaniya replied, “Pandemic has made people realise that media is doing journalism because eventually we are the people who will be affected.”
She added, “People who would have praised the government 5 months ago realised that we need to see the other side.”
5:16
She further said, "No matter what political allegiance they have, people believe media because it impacts them. Death impacts all. “pandemic will bring that shift.”
To that, Sashi Kumar said that digital media represented by the Wire or other are frontline media.
5:17
Supriya said, "Indians in every state felt neglected during the Pandemic, but some of the digital media platforms included the people involved and let them speak and question the issues, which mainstream media couldn't go and report."
5:18
Sashi Kumar continued by saying that he latest IT rule, the government made it regulatory and mainstream media is taking its clue from digital media.
5:19
Supriya replied, "Some of the unspoken and left aside concerned issues for the people were not covered by mainstream media."
5:20
As per Sashi Kumar, the way journalism is panning out and the shift it is making is good and involving more accountability.
5:21
Manisha talked about the present condition of print media being one of less news and more advertising.
"The bigger concern is the crackdown by the government on digital media," said Sashi Kumar.
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