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Session: Reuters' Digital News Report 2021
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Jyothsna Mani
7:19
Welcome to this session on Reuter's Digital News Report 2021! This discussion features Rasmus Nielsen, Director of the #Reuters Institute, Sashi Kumar, Journalist & Chairman of Asian College of Journalism, Supriya Sharma, Executive Editor of Scroll, and Dhanya Rajendran, Editor-in-chief, News Minute. The discussion is moderated by Manisha Pande, Executive Editor of Newslaundry.
7:26
The session kicks off with Manisha Pande, who poses a question about how journalists need to maintain a sense of neutrality during the course of news coverage.
7:29
Supriya Sharma goes on to answer that journalists are accountable to allow for a balanced approach, where multiple viewpoints are presented, and it's not a question of symmetry.
7:32
On the other hand, Sashi Kumar notes that the idea of neutrality is a "clinical term" that bears no sense. However, two forms of objectivity are possible.
But, mainstream media has aided in fragmentation in the current ecology of newsrooms.
7:36
According to Manisha Pande, who takes the instance of Republic TV, she calls it "a reality tv show." She says that people are more inclined towards the brand value that the newsroom presents, but not the news itself.
7:41
Sashi Kumar throws light on one of the contradictions in the Reuters report, which was that although Republic TV was rated very high among viewers but can't be trusted. He echoes Pande's thoughts on how all mainstream news channels have been reduced to reality shows for entertainment and that the general public doesn't watch the news for seeking information, anymore.
7:44
Rasmus Nielsen stresses how the media industry has become a victim of 'partisanism.' He says that the idea of 'fairness' is about lending an equal stance to everybody, among those in power. The Reuters' survey shows how newsrooms have been turning into "government lapdogs."
7:48
Talking about the report, Sashi Kumar notes that both The Wire and Republic TV are close to one another, when it comes to brand loyalty, whereas The Times of India and The Doordarshan have the most amount of loyalty, when it comes to their respective brands and go on to denote something larger than mere viewing of the news.
7:51
Manisha Pande goes on to pose the question surrounding the lack of facts presented, with private broadcasting channels.
7:52
Supriya Sharma mentions that as Doordarshan is recognised as a national broadcasting channel, owned by the Government, only some part of information presented is reliable.
7:56
Manisha Pande goes on to pose the question of a 'trust deficit' with respect to viewers, to Supriya Sharma.
7:58
Sharma denotes that Scroll's investigative stories are widely read and the coverage on Covid-19 induced lockdowns and resource storage has been done well. She mentions that these stories have been recognised as trusted sources of information as consumers have contributed to their ground-reporting funds.
Do you think mainstream news channels were better compared to newspapers in India?
Yes (100% | 1 vote)
 
No (0% | 0 votes)
 
Total Votes: 1
8:02
Dhanya Rajendran points out the connection between neutrality and the idea of trust with respect to the media. She emphasises that the Covid-19 pandemic made the community believe that news outlets are not always lying.
8:04
Supriya Sharma notes that the mainstream media platforms tried to not dismiss the sentiments of viewers and during the second wave of Covid-19, even though they don’t directly question policies of the government.
8:06
8:09
Sashi Kumar emphasises how digital media and news portals are at the forefront of journalism in India, at present. He says that although the government opposes important stories that keep the truth to power, they still hold powers to account, especially online platforms.
8:11
8:12
Rasmus notes that access to the internet and smartphones is increasing, in India. Even so, the regional groups face tremendous pressure from the government, due to which digital media also faces issues.
8:14
That's a wrap on this session, thank you for joining us!
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