INDIA ALLIANCE’S BOYCOTT OF 14 GODI MEDIA ANCHORS- Still Not Enough for Free Speech

Abhay Kumar

Can the ills of the national media be addressed by boycotting the shows of over a dozen news anchors? Is it enough to restore free speech?

While the opposition alliance deserves praise for calling a spade a spade and naming the journalists who have been carrying forward communal narratives for a long time, it is widely felt that the opposition parties need to make a substantive policy regarding the media and the freedom of speech. 

Remember that the decision of the opposition to boycott Godi anchors was made at Sharad Pawar’s house in New Delhi on Wednesday (September 13). In a statement released a day later, the opposition alliance named 14 anchors whose shows are to be boycotted.

The journalists have been carrying forward the RSS/BJP narratives. In doing so, they have often compromised with the ethics of journalism. More loyal than the King, they have acted better than the BJP’s official spokespersons.

These Godi media journalists have been vomiting hate and trying their best to maintain communal polarisation across the country while diverting the public attention from the substantive economic and social issues.

Worse still, the Godi journalists have often tried to suppress the voices of the marginalized sections and those sitting in the opposition. Whatever little coverage the nonHindutva groups get, they get largely from a group of dedicated social media journalists. 

The opposition is right to argue that the Godi anchors have been spreading hateful narratives and preparing the ground for the outbreak of violence. But it is equally true that even before the call to boycott was made by the opposition parties, the marginalized communities had spoken against the ills of Godi journalists as they have been their main targets.

Even the opposition parties know very well that the Godi media anchors enjoy impunity under the BJP rule. The courts and public institutions, entrusted with the task of maintaining law and order, feel hesitant to take action against hatemongers, disguised in the form of journalists.

The opposition’s initiatives should have come much before.  Many commentators have feared that giving a call for the boycott is easy but it is very difficult for the opposition parties to implement it.

It has to do with the internal division among the opposition parties and the clash of interests. It is a bitter truth that the secular forces have shown little interest in countering communal narratives. Instead of supporting secular journalists and having their own vibrant and critical media platforms, they remain largely dependent on the corporate media. 

Compared to them, the RSS/BJP have been far ahead in propagating their communal ideology. For example, the Organiser and the Panchjanya, the RSS mouthpiece, have been in publication for several decades.

These weeklies, which are filled with anti-Muslim, anti-Bahujan, anti-women and communal contents, have achieved good circulation. The secular parties could have learnt from the nationalist leaders, who were freedom fighters and journalists at the same time.

When they died, they did not leave much wealth but many large volumes of literature. In those years, the technology was not as advanced, yet they wrote prolifically and disseminated their ideas far and wide. 

Unfortunately, the social justice leaders of the present era have not exhibited much interest in producing progressive literature. In their rallies, they speak in favour of civil rights, but when they come to power, they, on occasion, invoke draconian laws against journalists.

Both BJP and non-BJP governments have jailed journalists in large numbers. For example, Adivasi rights activist Rupesh Kumar Singh has been put in jail under a regime that calls itself the biggest “champion” of social justice.

Not only secular but also the parties belonging to social justice ideology have often used repressive techniques against journalists. Even an intern journalist is aware of the fact that news anchors read out the script that is handed over to him.

If one thinks that the problem in the media lies only with the Godi media anchors and the owners of the media houses are innocent, then one is far away from grasping reality.

The anchors are like loudspeakers that blare out, while the cassette is inserted by someone else, who often remains behind the scenes. 

Instead of going gaga over the latest move, the opposition would be better placed if it introspects on deeper issues concerning the national media, a- who owns the media houses? b-why the media houses are not socially inclusive, c- why have a few corporate houses monopolised the national media? d- why are wages of working journalists uneven and low?, e- what can be