Media In Brazil

Brazilian democracy and economy has been stable for more than a decade and newspapers have also been given the advantage for prosperity and institutional stability. Although readership is still low, top four newspapers combined have a circulation of 1.4 million copies daily to an ever increasing audience.

Even the broadcasting industry and Internet have been experiencing an astounding growth that started from 1990s and early 2000s. The future of these emergent technologies in the country seems bright.

Freedom of the press has been somewhat restricted and in some cases completely abolished for certain important periods of Brazilian history. 

It was not until the end of World War II, that the country started to enjoy expansion of universities, literacy and newspapers. Mass media, especially newspapers and magazines did not provide the audience with authentic information during from the transition of military rule to democratic rule in the late 1970s (A process known as abertura polictica). However, after the restoration of democracy and civil liberties in 1980s and 1990s, newspapers and journalists played an instrumental role in voicing social and economic problems such as political corruption and poverty. It further took the role of a government watchdog seriously throughout 1990s and into the twenty-first century ranking high in terms of public credibility surpassing even the government. 

The entire media of Brazil is controlled by six major companies with no limit on cross-ownership and reach. These handful corporations own and operate publishing houses, news agencies, as well as cable and satellite television companies. The government has recently introduced an educational channel which is socially relevant along with having many community media groups and productions. Even with the liberalization of internet laws, political parties are not allowed to use internet as a medium to gain public support.

In urban areas of Brazil, people utilize communication technologies to their optimum and in small towns it is still a ritual to gather and watch communal television together. This not only keeps them informed of latest development in national, regional, political and economic development, it also contributes in peoples’ participation and elevates education.

In big cities transportation companies and private institutions distribute free newspapers which are a huge factor in encouraging the habit of reading. Due to high level of illiteracy, the concentration of readers in more in the south part of readers as compared to those in the north. Distribution rates are high; those that are sold are available at baker shops along with a variety of other products and at newsagents which are small steel huts on pavements.   

Around 95% if Brazilian households are tuned to television, out of which only 10% pay for it. Broadcasting airwaves are public and a federal government agency grants licenses to media companies. Programs in language other than Portuguese are dubbed and not subtitled as oppose to imported films that are subtitled and not dubbed.  Television is by far the most reliable and dominant information source of the country, and nearly everyone watches only one channel, Globo. There are other networks such as SBT, TV Babderirantes, and TV Manchete along with hundreds of local and regional Television stations.

With the country is thriving with community arts and culture, community television has gained immense support from the government as well as NGOs that provide funds.  Such media programs establish an integral part of Brazil’s colorful and cultural landscape. Known as one of the greatest public investments in the community there are dozens of groups teaching hip-hop, graffiti, circus skills, carnival-arts along with digital media to youths from favelas. Community media is an educational tool that focuses primarily on training rather than distribution of content, making it immensely popular and rewarding in the media circle.

Whenever a new technology arises, radio being the first communication vehicle has its days numbered. Webradio, which is a new concept provides interaction and enriches visual aspect, soon replacing the traditional one.

With telephone lines once preserved only for the elite, Brazil shifted and reached 233 million mobile phone users in 2011. Buying a smart phone is however expensive and is equivalent to average monthly income of the country.

Brazil has the highest rate of participation in social media with 23% of the entire country’s population, defeating America which has 11.9%. There are a total of 81.3 million internet users and increasing, out of which 31% use cyber cafes, 27% from home and the rest use their mobile phones for accessing it.

Twitter being the most powerful forum, has carved a niche for itself in Brazil. A country which is known for its vast gulf between the rich and poor has managed to cut through the class divide. What makes it so popular is the fact that it gives access to normal people to get directly in touch with their idols and favorite sport stars. Orkut, Facebook and LinkedIn are famous websites too. Brazilians embrace the social media phenomenon and newfound status as a budding global power.

Introduction to Brazil

When Portuguese founded Brazil, they named it after a tree, “Pau-Brazil” due to its abundance of producing Brazil nut. Originally named, ‘Terra de Santa Cruz’ (Land of Santa Cruz), the country tried to distance itself for the territory that France was interested in occupying. In an attempt to hide Brazil’s connection to Santa Cruz, it was renamed Brazil.

Not many know, that Brazil is the longest country in the world spanning to almost 2,800 miles (4,500 km) from north to south and has the largest river, the Amazon on the basis of water volume. Along with having a fantastic variety of wildlife, there are up to four million species of plants and animals. Brazil inhabits one third of the world’s 300 monkey species. Over the last 15 years, 14 new species of monkeys are discovered there.

Brazil started developing a reputation for crime and violence in 1980s due to massive debt that left necessities such as police, hospitals and schools deprived of revenue. Things started to look up in the early 1990s when the government was able to decrease its debt and reintroduce money into public services, starting with the police department and slowly the crime rates began to fall. Tourism is a top priority and their protection and comfort is the government’s responsibility.

Today, the economy is booming and Brazil is evidently growing strong across different sectors such as marketing and communications, creating a new sense of national confidence and identity. There is an increased sense of social mobility that comes with poor residents having greater purchase power. As markets get competitive, the wide gap between rich and poor decreases.  However, such an economy spectrum has also made Sao Paulo, the capital of Brazil, one of the most expensive cities to live in the world right now.

Brazilians are known to be warm and friendly people due to their interaction to tourists on a regular basis. Hot climate allows them a great deal of time to be outdoors and chat with people, making them inevitably outgoing and gregarious. Not to forget, men love to stare and pass comments at women as they walk by. The natives of Brazil take pride in being free spirited, resent being told what to do and tend to be very opinionated. On seeing them arguing with vigor for their convictions, visitors often get offended and tend to believe that they are angry in general. Often laidback and extremely casual, they view time as a sequence of events rather than hours, minutes and seconds.

Language is one of the strongest elements of binding together Brazil as a nation. Portuguese is spoken by nearly 100% of the population. Not surprisingly, over 200 languages exist today, and estimates claim the country had inhabited around 800 languages at some point. Brazilians love to talk and they do it effortlessly. It is no wonder then that the nation’s passion transcends to new communications technology, regularly topping charts globally for the most amount of time spent online in social media usage. 

Brazil is a melting pot of creativity. Art, music and dance is present everywhere and is magnified during Carnival which takes place annually for which people prepare for year round. Another thing the country is immensely popular for is it rich mixture if races and ethnicity from where artists get their inspiration from.

Many original Portuguese settlers married native women which created a new race called, ‘mestizos’ and descendants of Portuguese and African slaves are called, ‘Mulattoes’. Slavery was abolished in 1888, which overtime blurred racial lines. Brazil is also home to the largest population of Japanese citizen, outside of Japan.

Family life is considered to be the foundation on the basis of stability, closeness and assistance for most people. Families tend to be large, although this has been diminishing in recent years. Nepotism is considered positive as it implies that employing people one knows and trusts.

Despite the mixing of ethnicities, Brazil is obsessed with class system. Social discrimination of the basis of skin color is considered normal as people with darken brown skin are economically and socially disadvantaged in general. The upper and middle class only have brief discussion with lower class, usually consisting of maids, drivers, etc. Due to great disparity and wage differentials lifestyle and social aspirations are also different amongst different classes.

Women are typically found in lower paid jobs such as teaching, administrative support and nursing, even though they make 40% of the total workforce. Even though the 1988 constitution prohibits discrimination against women, it still exists. The one place that it doesn’t is in the government, the current President Dilma Rousseff being the prime example.

Children and Women of Brazil

CHILDREN OF BRAZIL

One of the biggest social challenges faced by the Brazilian government and society today is the lack of education, housing, health care and nutrition for homeless children in Brazil.

Thousands of children are abandoned on the streets and left to fend for themselves, as parents are unable to provide for them financially. These starving children living in deplorable conditions resort to doing activities that exploit them on being coaxed by street sellers and other adults. Such as abuse/sell drugs, petty theft, commit crimes and prostitution to earn them quick money.

For shelter, these children aged between 5 to 18-years-old live in abandoned buildings, cardboard boxes, and parks or on the street itself. Most of them do not even live to see their eighteenth birthday, due to the atrocities they suffer in life. Drug taking, particularly sniffing glue is common and a cheaper alternative. This adversely affects their mental and physical stability and reduces their life-span.

With the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS (estimated 660,000); poor families are unable to provide their children enough attention. Parents that are murdered or die in death related cases also can’t pay heed to young ones they leave behind.

A staggering 200,000 to 8 million live off the street in Brazil and 609 in Sao Paulo alone. Police that regularly picks up street children for petty crimes have nowhere to take them but jail, but after a period of time released and sent back to the same place. There are a few outreach programs that provide shelter, but are already always full.

Known to be a nuisance to the society, they are even shunned by politicians because they have no voting power or voice. Children that live with their parents have benefited with the policies introduced by government that provides free education and medical check-up. However those that stay on the streets are rejected and neglected.

WOMEN

There are more women than men in Brazil. Contributing factors for male deficiency is that men die at a younger age due to crime, motorcycle/car accidents and gang violence. Many men also have migrated to countries like Europe, Asia and America for better life opportunities. Brazil has become a land of women but sustaining the power to rise was an uphill battle.

Brazilian society was originally strongly patriarchal because of property transmission and religion. They put Roman Catholic values into effective practice where men were expected to demonstrate their masculinity by being the head of household and women were supposed to stay virgins before marriage and stay faithful to their husbands. Consensual unions, illegitimacy and prostitute still being a part of the society, people were not entirely acceptable but tolerant of such a lifestyle. Women achieved equal footing with men for all legal purposes under the constitution of 1988.

Female participation in labor force grew dramatically in the 1970s and 80s, resulting in new employment patterns and expansion in service and economic sectors. There were also several feminist movements which threw light on violence against women during this time which resulted in getting them specially dedicated for women police stations. From the 90s, focus shifted on reproductive health and rights along with increase of female participation in professions. They entered the formal and self-employed market with the increase of education. Status of women in Brazil is still going strong in various fronts such as law, medicine, dentistry and engineering. Now, growing economy and rising prices have propelled women to aim higher.

Brazilians simply call her Dilma. Dilma Rousseff is the first female president of Brazil was a onetime Marxist militant, technocrat, economist and handpicked successor to the highly regarded Lula da Silva. In just 11 months since her entry in the presidential palace, she has emerged for his shadow to prove herself at the helm of the world’s seventh-largest economy at the time of global crisis. She has appointed women to high-profile positions like chief of staff, planning minister and minister if institutional relations, making them up to one third of her cabinet. This has injected a new tone in the presidential office and is influencing the country overall.

Eco-friendly Brazil

Brazil takes full pride in claiming that it is 100% electricity independent. The country has been making optimum use of its resources (high yield of sugarcane production) and has been using Ethanol fuel (fermented ethanol form sugarcane biomass) in cars for over three decades making it the largest producer and exporter and also the third largest hydroelectricity producer of the world. A strong support from the government, along with continuous adoption of new technologies and cheap production cost has made it possible.

Ethanol became largely popular due to heavy subsidy rates but lost its reign to gasoline in the 80s due to its price hike. New technologies with flexible fuel engines put Ethanol back on track in 2003 and by 2009, more than 88% of vehicles worked on “Flex” engines meant to be gasoline and ethanol. This gained worldwide recognition for alternative fuel as other countries such as US and Europe who are importers of Ethanol fuel form Brazil.

Although many areas of Brazil suffer from rampant poverty and staggering social inequality, advancements in alternative fuel technology came as a blessing of sorts for viable source of food security following the economic boom. There has been a rise in the economic sector as its output is 35% higher due to the focus on diverse energy production from sugarcane ethanol production to offshore oil extraction. This production also hampers job opportunities and employment in rural regions.

Ethanol produces close to one-third less energy than gasoline, which means less energy content ideally having a low rate. However, since it is used to replace gasoline and diesel the prices have increased. But this is a price one is willing to pay in order to save the environment from harmful greenhouse emissions. The rise of Biofuel in Brazil has also caused a fall in gas emissions by 600 million metric tons of carbon dioxide since 1975 contributing to saving the world from pollution and global warming.

Sugarcanes have been cultivated for more than 500 years now; making it the most efficient source of energy after oil. It is not only edible but also form a renewable-energy source.  The Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil hamper the production of sugarcane due to it fertile land and favorable climate. Traditionally sugarcane fields are burnt to remove leaves, debris and pesticides for harvesting, exploitation of land is a possible threat.

The land has also been a subject to monoculture cropping. As the natural yield becomes less and less over the years, farmers use heavy pesticides to maintain the level of production but it further causes vast areas of land degradation and growth of crop pests and diseases. Cities such as Sao Paulo are devoted to sugarcane cash crop cultivation, drove out and denied other food crops out increasing their prices due to this denial.

Every scenario has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand Brazil is making the most out of its resources, providing employment and being eco-friendly and on the other unethical farming methods is screaming equal environment disaster.  To be able to maintain a balance and smart farming can lead to better results.

Poverty In Brazil

The debt crises and rising inflation caused Brazil to be conspicuous of its growth in the 1980s. This led to unevenness after the poverty stricken decades of 1960s and 1970s. The country witnessed no rapid growth or reduction in poverty until 1990s. Alteration in measures of income distribution, decentralized local decision making process and transfer to resources directly to poor rural communities caused Brazil’s economic development and status to improve. However, economic inequality was on a rise.

On the bright side, today Brazil’s level of economic inequality is dropping at a steady rate, better than most other countries. Research shows that between 2003 and 2009, the income of poor people has grown seven times and poverty rates have noticeably fallen.

As an effect of inequality one can see a world of contrast between the wealthy and poor in most regions of Brazil especially in cities such a Sao Paulo and Rio de Jeneiro. High rise luxury apartments are tucked away and guarded with barbed wire right opposite illegal crowded slums/favelas that are encroached on the hills.

With the roots of social economic and cultural inequality in Brazil, it knows how to progress form it. The government and society are active players in doing so by creating mechanisms such as social participation and control, development programs and projects toward encouraging change in the sectors of education, health income distribution and employment.

However, the government social programs do not always reach the poorest communities in rural areas that are scattered all around geographically especially in the North-East region (a vast semi-arid area). They are often neglected and left to the mercy of weather and crop failure. It results in, overall low human development, continued poverty and no or little access to basic services such as water, education, electricity and health care.

In an attempt to mitigate these social and economic problems, the then President Lula da Silva implemented “Bolsa Familia” in 2003, an anti-poverty program which is aimed at hunger-eradication and giving money directly to impoverished families if they keep their children in school, go for regular medical checkups and attend nutrition and disease prevention workshops. This concluded in an impressive 40 million Brazilians to step out of poverty and join the middle class, along with economic growth and increased the focus of the nation on poverty reduction.

A part of this program also involves recognizing the poor and giving them jobs and social policies. This action has not only improved the health and lifestyle of people but also brought them new found dignity and self-esteem.

Brazil is in a continuing path to improvement. Pioneering in deep water oil research and ethanol production has led to human development and economic boom even if it’s dizzy. With the nation being host to the 2014 World Cup and Olympic Games in 2016, it is getting prepared to put on a brave and clean front and in the process, abolishing poverty. There couldn’t be a better time for the world to be awed by the beauty and culture of Brazil rather than the drawbacks. 

Brazilian Carnival

The moment you think of Brazil, you think Carnival (or football) but I’m sticking to the first one.

Rio de Jeneiro hosts the lavish world-famous celebration which lasts for almost a week held annually. Scores of tourists flock the city to witness the sensational parades having elaborate floats that are surrounded by thousands of artists, singers and dancers who are all dressed in intricate and inevitably outrageous costumes.

As they grove to the mesmerizing beats, one can spectate the richness and vibrancy of their culture, resulting as a major tourist attraction and being televised around the globe. This is an opportunity when locals shut their offices, shops and institutes to merge themselves in the manifestation of happiness and freedom, whatever the time, wherever the place being in the peak season of summer.

The Carnival is celebrated 46 days before Easter leading up to Lent festival which is an abstinence period, in the Roman Catholic calendar. Traditionally, Christians celebrate the Carnival to bid farewell to eating flesh in the months of February and March. They stay away from the consumption of meat/poultry, hence the word ‘Carnival’ which originated from the word ‘Carnelevare’ (Carnival is actually spelled as Carnavale) means to “remove meat”.

The event was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese who occupied the zone of Rio at that time, celebrated and called it ‘Entrudo’. It was a violent practice by the poor classes which involved throwing water, flour, eggs and mud at unsuspecting people on the street, often resulting in fights. This tradition is still persevered in certain parts of Brazil and South America.

The festival gradually evolved as a form of imitation from Paris by holding balls and masquerade parties. It mimicked the European style, later absorbing elements form Native American and African cultures.

Samba music and dance which is a mix of Angolan, European and Cuban art is the life of the Carnival. It was a result of black Brazilians who after the abolition of slavery settled in slums and their art became a part in of the festival only later.

Today, Samba schools composed of thousands of people including dancers; professional or amateurs, commoners or celebrities prepare relentlessly throughout the year and proudly showcase their talents and handmade costumes inspired by social and political themes during parades. Along with criticizing and praising the Brazilian reality while celebrating, these associations do their bit by involving in programs that aid in education and healthcare services in various poverty stricken areas.

The crux of action takes place in Sambadrome a well-designed stadium that can accommodates 90,000 spectators and more than 30,000 participants where over 100 block parades participate. . A keen panel of 40 judges gives points the samba schools on the pretext to costumes, percussions, songs, flag and theme as they move along the route. The winner of is announced on Ash Wednesday, the next day. As the well-orchestrated parade moves along the strip, the crowd on the stands goes insane in the union of song, dance and art making it a giant electrifying party. This is all done within the constraints of a strong security system and provided toilet facilities.

Skimpy outfits worn by women also increase the intensity of the Carnival. While onlookers (mainly women) say it is not family-friendly, they take pride in their beaded, spangled and feathered attire and blame the heat and liberality of Brazil for their minimalistic clothing. However do not make the mistake of regarding Brazilian women as easy. Foreigners are mostly shunned negatively due to problems of sexual tourism in the past.

Besides having unprecedented tourists flocking the country which aids in economic development, there is also a high alcohol consumption rate and a great opportunity for the government to launch AID awareness campaigns. Last year, 600 thousand condoms were distributed. 

BRAZIL: Similarity with India

“Countries can have policies made, not just in self-interest, but in mutual interest. Emerging nations cannot sit and wait for beneficial concessions from the richer nations. Accords such as these should not substitute international relations with developed countries, but complement them”. These were the words of Lula da Silva (now ex-President of Brazil) after his arrival in Rashtapati Bhavan, New Delhi almost four years ago.

I couldn’t help but notice, while in the process of completing this project that Brazil and India have stark similarities. Let’s divulge in it more.

Both the countries fought for democracy, have parallel socio-political stratification and the geopolitical stature they share as pivotal states are also alike. Above all, about 50% of population is the process of emerging. Even though their per capita income is higher than that of India’s, the later has projected to become the fourth largest economy by 2025 while Brazil doesn’t lag too much behind at the eighth position.

The two countries have analogous problems too; India has 70 million people suffering in poverty and Brazil has 50 million. When in power Lula reinforced the family grants program, Bolsa Familia (assistance package) which encouraged participation of citizens for development in healthcare and education. Indira Gandhi too initiated the Garibi Hatao (remove poverty campaign) in India.

They both also have hugely underdeveloped regions; the northern states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in India and the nine northeastern states in Brazil. Emerging young and massive population between the age of 15 and 25 also gets them united, with 54% in India and 47% in Brazil, making the future prospects bright.

Kerala, that is situated in the southern strip of the geography in India claims that it has more than one aspect to bond with Brazil, fascination with football being the foremost. Their everlasting love for soccer progresses with Brazilian footballers being a household name in Kerala, especially Pele’. Also, Kerala was the only national television channel that telecasted matches of Brazil in the World Cup of 1986.

It was from here that the Portuguese collected and introduced pepper, tapioca, pineapple to Brazil and brought rubber, one of the most important cash crops of Kerala to the state. They are also the major coffee producers and exporters of the world and host charismatic carnivals. High literacy rate, amalgamation of various ethnicities, cash crop cultivation and the obsession of football bind the two territories together.

Presence of various groups and races having a mixture of diverse cultures also make them alike not only in Kerala but in the whole of India. Not to forget, both the countries at the time being have a women President which indicates the rise of women in society over the years.

It is important that the two countries learn about each other’s struggle to rise above. Efficient democracy and trained manpower resources is the key. Including every single person in the path of growth is ideal; as both nations have mammoth population (180 million in Brazil and 1 billion in India) it is essential to turn the cons around positively. 

BRAZIL: Drug Wars

The dizzy economy of Brazil has resulted in creating a large gap between the wealthy and the destitute (stands second in world ranking). A huge amount of poor population living in slums/favelas dodge incidents of violence including crimes, muggings, armed robbery and sexual assault on a daily basis. The unplanned natures of these favelas that are encroached illegally on hills have a maze of pathways and narrow alleyways, making it easy for gangs to navigate and hide.

In major cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Salvador and Recife, criminal gangs reportedly rob and assault tourists, use unregistered taxis to abduct and force them to withdraw funds from ATMs. Naturally then, petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag snatching is common in breaches and outdoor markets where thieves operate from. Human trafficking and slavery cases also have been reported.

But the most life-threatening crime can be traced down to the drug trade. Brazil is a heavy importer to illicit cocaine and plays a huge part of the international drug route. Locally produced arms and marijuana also make rounds in the drug circuit. Thousands of people who are involved in this trade are fatally shot due to their inability to pay back or simply die due to consumption.

The shantytowns are infamous for the local drug mafia. Started in early 1990s there are several gangs, each of who proclaim a certain area in the favelas, where they govern, rule, increase their network and practice their drug trade from.

Apart from engaging in drug-dealing, these gangs also venture into illegal businesses such as distribution of bottled cooking gas, cable television service and transportation. They employ a number of youths, who find this the most viable option to earn a quick buck.

 People residing those areas are controlled and restricted to their command. If the word of their atrocities spreads out in public, a typical punishment includes burning rubber tire around the person’s chest and arms. There is also much inter-gang violence in favelas which claim the lives of thousands of innocent people.

The government, in order eradicate this problem, introduced a policy where the Pacification Police Units (UPP) are installed in slums to take actions to modify the neighborhood. They carry out operations to remove gangs and take their occupied space. Whether they flee or hide somewhere is still unknown.

While some people feel the police invade and cause fear, mistrust and hatred amongst each other and refuse to cooperate, others think it’s a great move to bring harmony and prevent the young form drug business. Police officers do their best to change their image of being brutal by being friendly and greeting locals warmly. They have reduced 80% of murders since their arrival in 2009. The favelas are now also open to tourists who come to witness the uneven structure with elaborate graffiti on walls depicting their rich culture.

Brazilian youth have energy but lack opportunity and vision which push them into drugs and working for criminal gangs. The government, society as well as the media are working towards seizing the menace once and for all before the arrival of games season in Brazil in 2014. 

Media Censorship in India

India resorts to censorship as the country has diverse cultures and tries to maintain communal and religious harmony. The constitution guarantees freedom of speech but not at the price of hurting ethical sentiments. Let’s face it, the nation highly protective and sensitive to anything that offends or mocks it. In certain cases censorship is justified but in others, it’s just bizarre.

Movies containing sexually explicit content are often passed off with an A-certificated by the Central Board of Film Certification which is a regulatory film board of India and has the power to order producers/directors to remove anything it deems as offensive, sexual, nudity, violence or politically harsh.

It demanded to cut five scenes containing sex and nudity from the 2011 American film, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Ultimately, the producers/directors shelved the release of the movie as they felt that those scenes were an integral part of the plot. They suffered financially due to this, however eager readers of the book who wanted to watch the adapted movie, did so for free online.

 Salman Rushdie’s book “The Satanic Verses” as well as Ram Swarup’s “Understanding Islam through Hadis” was banned in India mostly due to the fear of Islamic communities getting offended. Although, these books may not contain seriously offending content, they are banned to avoid controversies and create uproar amongst the community, which is understood. In that case of books such as ‘The Princess Diaries’ and ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, they also contained atrocities within the community; however it was not banned as it had strong global support and was in the limelight for favorable reasons.  

Pornography is illegal and attracts several penal provisions. In spite of this, several restricted soft porn magazines are easily available at news vendor shops on request if not confiscated by the Customs and CDs are accessible outside railway stations in Mumbai. Scoring porn is not difficult as it also available online, free of cost. Obviously, there are regulations being passed to censor such websites, however they still continue to run. Judging by the past, I think it is here to stay despite being atrocious and completely distasteful to women.

At first glance, India may enjoy the freedom to express by speaking and criticizing just like other democratic countries such as America and Europe but the picture is rather different when it comes to the use of internet. Certain news that highlights the malpractices of Indian government is censored by search engines and unavailable. Even content that may marginally offend a religious or political community has to be pulled down within 36 hours of reporting a complaint or the website can be dragged to court. This according to me is ridiculous as the government should focus on implementing change and combating corruption in real life and leave the versatile internet world alone.

Another action that I felt was absurd was the banning of Axe Dark Temptation commercial which featured a man being transformed into a chocolate figurine after spraying himself with the deodorant and walking around the city as women tried to devour him. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting barred the ad form being televised after receiving a complaint from a viewer who found the shot of a women biting off of the chocolate man’s bottom offensive.

Seriously, there is far more tantalizing content of television. Adults found it funny and children found it amusing. At the end of the day however, Axe had to pull down the ad incurring some loss and the viewer who complaint felt content for whatever the reason. 

During the screening of Hindi and English serials on television, a note appears below stating that if anyone has complaints regarding the content being sexually offensive they can complain to the BCCC i.e. the Broadcast Content Complaint Council. This works fittingly as the sexually provocative American serial, ‘Sex and the City’ on Love CBS used to show uncensored versions of the program before the notification of BCCI appeared. Now, such scenes get chopped.

Although adults may find nothing wrong with the program, it could create wrong impressions in the minds of youngsters or those who watch it with their parents around. Even though the remote is in the person’s hand, instant changing could lead to embarrassment and questioning, hence at times it is best to filter content.

So I stick to my belief, that certain content should be censored if backed with obvious reasons. In other cases, even if something does filter in the media, we will never know as the content will be killed before it reaches our senses. 

Google and Facebook in Delhi Court

Why Google and Facebook were dragged Delhi Court?

The case took off with a private complaint filed by journalist Vinay Rai last December against 21 social networking websites saying that they “create enmity, hatred, and communal violence” and “will corrupt the minds” with “obscene and inflammatory content.” He added that such content was offensive to certain religious communities.

This included illustrations such as, two political icons in compromising positions, pigs running through Islam’s holy city of Mecca and morphed pictures of Hindu Gods and Prophet Mohammad. The punishment for such offenses is to serve several years in jail and financial penalties. The list features, 10 foreign-based companies and websites like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and YouTube.

India being Facebook’s the third-fastest growing market, said that it was impossible to pre-monitor everything and users should be held responsible. In spite of even having a global-policy of non-interference, they had to pull down the objectionable content. Google too said that it’s a constitutional issue of freedom of speech in a democratic India, but had to remove the content on its search engine, YouTube and Blogger.

What my views on the issue are?

India has to play a balancing act during a time when the Internet market is booming resulting in overall development, along with making sure that religious and political sentiments do not get hurt.  Being the world’s largest democracy, it is ironic that it has to resort to censorship and restrict free speech. Having the third largest web user population, the government feels that American standards are not acceptable. They also believe that India, being a socially conservative country with a history of violence between religious groups it is at the best interest of its people.

However these people are not in tune with the psyche of Indian youth, who form the majority of internet users. Youngsters do not consider something that is posted casually online as objectionable content. For most of us it is just humorous or an expression of art. If we find something remotely objectionable, the maximum we will do is show disgust and comment/dislike, then move on to some other web page.

Along with having countless amount of interesting information present, the World Wide Web also has certain content which some people term as “blasphemous”. It is a given. There will be no riots or violence with such material, simply because internet users find it lazy to leave their comfortable chairs and there is far more objectionable content in the mainstream media.

The thinking of youngsters has also changed over the years due to education, globalization and exposure to the foreign world via media, which older generation politicians do not understand. They are trying to catch up with the rising power of world expression and connection and taking this issue far too seriously.

Secondly, the government has chosen to block websites haphazardly and has poor understanding of technical feasibility of censorship. They have taken those websites that are largely popular and dragged them to court. Besides, blocked content is quickly migrated to other websites and users have found a way to dodge filtering, so their efforts have been slightly ineffective.

We will never know if a certain content was being censored by internet websites with the influence of Indian government in the first place. Example: Google was actively filtering posts referring to the malpractices of the government in cases such as Adhar project, UIDAI and World Bank. In future, also we will never know. This action completely blindfolds public’s view on controversial issues of the country.

Yes racial comments, pornography and hate speeches can be censored to an extent, but censoring social networking websites seems ridiculous. There are millions of users in this country and censoring and filtering every single comment, picture, blog post or page by a panel of people is a strenuous task and not to forget expensive. Like we were not paying enough tax, censorship is also bound to make our pockets lighter as the government will need more funds to tackle new concepts of internet technology.

Internet is the only platform that provides people the freedom to publish news and their views to a large spectrum of audience which mainstream news channels/newspapers do not often provide due to TRP reasons. People have a right to information and it cannot be one-sided. The government should be able to tackle malpractices and corruption in the real world and then move towards the virtual one. 

IT RULES

What happened?

Last year, India passed a law that makes internet companies responsible for ethically objectionable, blasphemous and grossly harmful content posted on their websites.  They are required to take down anything deemed as offensive within 39 hours in case of a complaint. It also includes censoring anything that, “threatens the unity, integrity, defense, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order.”  

While civil rights activists oppose, the government feels that India, being a socially conservative country with a history of violence between religious groups it is at the best interest of its people. Their intention is to align Indian law with global practices and protect Indian data.

What my view on the subject is?

In the past laws such as IT Act of 2008, the Indian government put pressure on Internet intermediaries who were forced to succumb under them. Yahoo resisted this when it took the government to court over e-surveillance and more such litigations. How cyber laws of India develop is still the million dollar question.

While selective censorship has been a continuous process since 2003, it is brought to public discourse now. Allegedly, many posts regarding malpractices of the Indian government fail to appear in news, blogs and search engines. This action was aided by Google who along with censorship of news and manipulation of search engines, engaged in illegal data gathering.

Censorship guards against viruses and spams, but tech-savvy users have inbuilt software to prevent it from causing damage. Several outsourcing foreign companies are also having a tough time coping with the new rules. Stealing identity also has low chances, as some websites ask for verification.

The new internet rules also have major potential legal problems as individuals/corporations can sue to have their blocks removed if the cyber laws are not strong enough. Resulting in more conflicts and lord knows we can do without them.

This law aids in protecting women and children from the dangerous side-effect of watching porn, however there are many who have access to it with or without government filtering in India, through pirated CDs, etc. Besides, there are several hundred websites that continue to show porn and no action to eradicate it has taken place. And as far as other sites go, people have softwares that pass through government firewalls or that content is simply available discreetly on other websites. 

People have a right to information and it is conflicting with the new internet law. One cannot blindfold the audience and expect it to progress. If the government wants development it needs to strip itself of everything, including the ugly. Information cannot be one-sided and they cannot restrict oppositional political viewpoint, which ultimately aids in progress.

Internet to people is a whole new world which they access for entertainment, to acquire information and express themselves. Yes there are websites/pages/comments/ pictures/ blog posts that oppose certain government laws, restrictions and support groups, but at the end of the day they are just public forums where people vent out their frustration or campaign against/for a cause and create opinion. The government shouldn’t take this too seriously. People are more aware and informative than before and will not engage in riots. If at all there will be peaceful protests like the ones held for Anna Hazare. After all, the government is for the people and by the people.

People sit within the constraints of their homes or cafés and write their views. That’s about it. If the government knew better, it would do better. They shouldn’t blind fold the public and keep them out of the loop. The whole scenario is interpreted wrongly and filing cases against websites that are actually expanding our horizons and exposing us to the world is undone. It must have started with good intentions but is leading nowhere. Besides, such websites are hosts to information; they should not be responsible for whatever content is posted by its members.

Internet censorship is aimed to control or suppress public opinion and individuals and organizations may engage in self-censorship caused by inbuilt intimidation and fear.  China is not allowed to view information about Tibet, Saudi Arabia restricts information on women’s rights and Cuba permits only pro-government blogs.

Indians are much more liberal in action, forward in thinking and democratic in nature where freedom of expression is given a platform. It will be shameful for the nation if censorship of the Internet is encouraged and progressed. 

Fundamental Rights Act, Case Study

Drug and Magic Remedies Act (Objectionable Advertisement), 1954 came into play in the Hamdard Dawakhana v. Union of India case. This is when Supreme Court was faced with the question as to whether the act, that puts restrictions on advertising drugs in certain cases would prohibit advertisements of drugs having magical qualities for curing diseases. The company challenged the court on the basis of one of the Fundamental Rights i.e. freedom of speech and expression.

Ultimately, the court reached a decision that advertising is no doubt a form of freedom of speech and expression but every advertisement cannot fall under this category of Article 19(1) (a) as it is of a commercial nature of profit-making. I couldn’t agree more.

Although, this Fundamental Right gives us the basic right to express our thoughts and ideas through any communication medium of visual representation or publication, we should not abuse or take advantage of it. India being a democratic country has its fare share of liberties but at the same time there are reasonable restrictions. Such as press restrictions, that is in favor of public interest so that there is a sense of decency and morality maintained in the society.

Advertising of items such as cigarettes, alcohol and most over the counter drugs is prohibited in India. So when the case of a drug that has “magical remedies to cure diseases” comes to play, it is bound to be questioned. Fooling the oblivious, impressionable and in some instances desperate public with such promises is unfair and can be easily termed as cheating. Even promoting these products is a threat to people’s health and lifestyle.

What if the drug doesn’t deliver what it promised? Ultimately the buyer feels violated and loses its money but advertisers have done their job which is restricted to luring prospective buyers and making them pay a price of the product. Whether the product performs well on the patient or not is not their concern, it’s the company’s. They stick to doing what they are paid for and that is pure advertising. In most cases it includes propagating false scenarios to entice the public to buy the product.

Freedom of speech and expression is a tool that one uses in instances such as motivating people for a social cause in a gathering, painting a picture that depicts different views, or making a documentary on an unknown issue. Not on something that runs simply on profit motive such as advertising. Yes, to an extend it is a form of expression but is restricted to selling a product with empty promises and no guarantee of results.  Unethical advertising cannot hide behind walls of Fundamental Rights while propagating commercially benefiting strategies.

This case took place decades ago, which should indicate that times have changed and people are more aware of their surroundings. Unfortunately, that is not the case. If advertisers are not deceiving them with fake promises, then they are doing so with computerized and bizarre ads. There are some people who still fall in their trap and pay for it too. And then there is an experienced/indifferent lot that ignores and moves on to another absurd advertisement. 

A reaction paper: Copyleft

A Copyleft license gives permission and freedom to a person who has a copy of a work to freely as long as it is distributed under the same Copyleft license terms. One can:

1) Reproduce

2) Adapt

3) Modify

With the recent splash of laws and rights protecting the authenticity and privacy of content on the internet, copyleft seems to be a safe bet. Let’s understand why.

People do not really bother about the origin of information, as long as it is available to them and they can modify it according to their convenience. An item being available on the internet for downloading is nothing unusual and such a process is convenient which Copyleft aids.

Copyright being the better, less expensive and more successful alternative to copyleft and is being greatly practiced by fields like software, documents, music, art, history, science, culture studies and literature. This works in the interest of human mankind as there is no need to tightly secure such information in proprietary format.

With such a system the middle man cannot take advantage as the modified program will not be provided rights the original manufacturer wanted him to have. It is a transparent system of functioning. But one has to make sure the original author of the product should not have a conflict with its future users.

It also curbs the problem of piracy in huge way as the content is available free to people in a legal way.  It gives them a healthy choice of options to choose from as opposed to pirated and unauthentic versions of software etc. The backlash to this is that not everyone will explore different sources, leaving those left out to less exposure.

Copyleft helps the information stay in a public domain which students and professionals can take advantage of. One can simply access the information from the original website without going through the grueling and risky process of downloading a pirated version. Also copyleft content can be used as references without having to link out-side of a website.

With the rise of competition from many other companies who provide similar information, Copyleft helps in giving them exposure it deserves in a legal format on the same platform.

Also, some websites charge for the content or item published which generates income for the company and government at the same time keeping keep the consulting fees lower as compared to proprietary software.  This benefits both the parties involved.

A great amount of promotion and free publicity on the World Wide Web can be experimented by virtue of this law. However, due to the complexities and legalities involved in this process, many companies shy away from it.

Even when it comes to the matter of use one can modify the software according to the needs of the company and can also distribute it. The only glitch in this process is that one cannot claim it as its own and the source code needs to be attached when distributed.

Thus, there are more advantages of using Copyleft and distributing one’s hard work (probably for a fee) for general interest of human knowledge as compared to suing those who violate Copyright law.

A Reaction Paper: SOPA & PIPA

Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act are two draft laws in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate which require killing, blacklisting and censoring of websites offering ad networks, payment processors and search engines to remove them from results, prohibiting distribution of advertising, and stopping companies such as PayPal or Visa from engaging in financial transactions with other countries. This includes foreign-based “rogue sites” that host or sell infringing materials ranging from pirated copies of Hollywood movies to fake Jimmy Choo shoes.

They are still bills and are not yet a law, which makes it open to discussion. India, being a much celebrated democracy has been having ongoing debates with the majority opposing such an act. If it comes into play, it would mean downloading any American-based movies, songs etc will be impossible. This will add to the list of censored news reports, movies and anything controversial censored by the government.

The World Wide Web can easily termed as an eye-opener not most but to all of its users.  It gives the wonder of experiencing the slightest of information in a detailed, versatile and structured manner. Writers, who do not get a platform to express their views without filtration do so with the help of blogs, along with providing us with foreign based products through shipping. Various needs for entertainment are gratified with the free flow of information in this system.  

Being a person who downloads Hollywood movies and international music for free, it will be completely disheartening if I do not have access to such websites anymore and I know I am not the only one. So no, I do not believe to in the regulation of SOPA or PIPA simply because I will not have an easier source of entertainment for free anymore. I also do I want to land in jail for linking to a site that links to an infringing material website.

Certain artists and producers feel violated when their brainchild product or service is provided by another website for downloading which is understandable. However, one doesn’t look into the amount of popularity and expansion they receives through such websites. Downloaders or those who share do not care which website is providing them with the content; as long as it is available to them. So if it bothers the manufactures so much, they can upload the authentic file on their own website and charge consumers for it by virtue of the Copyleft law. As long as it fills their pockets and ads to their credibility, there is no reason to complain.

Internet is used as a mass promoter of music, movies, books etc. so when the question arises to censor such content, it is ironic. Many music videos and movie trailers are launched on websites such as YouTube that allows one to upload for free and insures some amount of traffic. This publicity and free promotion provides them a huge platform saves a massive chuck of finance. An aspect which the proposers of the bill are not paying heed to right now.

Websites should not feel threatened by this and the internet should not be taken so seriously by the government. Removing certain content will only make people more curious. Consumers are paying legally for their service and shouldn’t be barred from using it to its optimum. There are hundreds of websites providing the same content, how many will the government pull the plug on? And how does this grantee that complete piracy will stop? Is it even certain that such a law will be practiced religiously if passed? Future holds the answers. 

Right to Information Act vs. Official Secrets Act

The RTI’s “right of the citizen to know” overlaps with OSA’s “right to secrecy”.  What follows is a detailed account of what both the acts state as well as my reaction to the situation.

Under the Right to Information Act (2005):

1) Any citizen can request information form a public authority (Government body or instrumentality of State) that is required to be replied expeditiously within thirty days.

2) The public authority is also required to computerize records for wide dissemination and pro-actively publish certain categories of information so that citizens need minimum resource to request for information formally.

3) The act empowers a citizen to:  

·         Ask any questions from the Government or seek any information.

·         Take copies of any governmental documents.

·         Inspect any governmental documents.

·         Inspect any Governmental works.

·         Take samples of materials of any Governmental work.

The law came fully into force on 13th October 2005 before which it was restricted by the Official Secrets Act. However, one still cannot obtain information if it breaches the elements of OSA related to national security. Civil Service conduct rules along with Indian Evidence Act impose further restrictions on discloser of information.

Meaning of Official Secrets Act (1923) is any action which involves:

1) Helping an enemy state against India

2) Approach, inspect, or pass over prohibited government site or area

3) Helping the enemy state in the form of communicating a stretch, plan, model, codes or password of an official secret.

4) Disclosure of any information that is likely to affect the sovereignty or integrity, security of India and friendly relations with foreign states.

5) It is considered a punishable crime under this act which can land a person in jail for three to fourteen years whether the action was intentional or not.

6) A journalist convicted under this act is not the only person to be punished; the whole company including the editor, publisher, and proprietor have to be liable.

RTI came as a breath of fresh air not only to journalists but also to citizens of India who struggled to obtain information after continuous effort and rejection from officials. One can advantage from the law which states that the authority needs to respond accurately within 30 days. Once the authentic information delivered, it puts all the speculation, rumors and agony to rest along with bringing transparency and accountability of affairs.

 If the applicant is turned down, he/she can further complain to CIC about public interest not being served. This also fulfills the purpose of democratically elected government where, citizens’ problems are addressed as well as the fundamental right to free speech and expression is honored. I feel such a right should be extended to private companies, NGOs, educational institutes and organizations of a public nature so that people are not framed or manipulated.

Along with acting as a watchdog to democracy, RTI also provides huge aid to whistle-blowers. Not to forget journalists, who require information of public importance and need official documents as a source and proof to aid their reports.

However such a privilege can cause an overload of demand on administration. Besides, some information should remain protected from the public in the matters of national interest such as armed forces, military information, defense transactions and expenditure, the CBI, NIG etc.

With such provisions, the relevance of OSA, a legacy of British rule in India has naturally become limited. The government cannot deny the flow of information and hide behind OSA as it used to earlier by completely shutting down the questions raised by ordinary people even with regards to non- confidential information such as human interest.

While obtaining information one needs to be bound within the limitations of the later along with being responsible and intelligent enough not to misuse the information. A journalist needs to be a good judge to the situation and publish only those materials which are not going to get him/her into legal trouble or have case of OSA filed against him/her. Besides, this would not only malign the journalist’s reputation but also the nations, if sensitive information regarding other countries is involved.

Hopeless communities have hugely benefited from the RTI act; it not only gives them a right to fight corruption from petty officials regarding issues such a pension, water supply etc. but also the feeling of empowerment and confidence. For years, the government has rejected information on the pretext of OSA, even if it does not cause a national security threat, which was completely bizarre. However, RTI has almost put an end to this as long as the public take it up and their pleas continue to be answered.

Arundhati Roy’s case of Contempt of Court Act

Sometimes those who wish and do well for the country fall in a soup of misjudgment and legal harassment. Being thick skinned and unapologetic in the way they function helps them from drowning and rising above the law with public support and media coverage for their propaganda and cause. What follows is a case of misuse of Contempt of Court against author and social activist Arundhati Roy who still continues to inspire and support the unheard.

The Contempt of Courts Act (1971) is a criminal offence; people can be charged and have to serve one month in jail as punishment. One shows contempt of court when you deliberately make it harder the court to come to a legal decision or do the following things:

1) Obstruct justice, either by lying or misleading the court

2) Disrespect a judge or jury

3) Fail to turn up in court when called

In regard to the affidavit filed in response to the petitioners, Arundhati Roy comes out clean and strong.  She takes a stand for what she firmly believes in, responds with confidence and comes across as honest as oppose to the petitioners who have no strong back up, lack information, allegations appear fabricated and have hastily filed the FIR. I do not believe that what she was alleged for was a real case of contempt of court. She has been framed by lawyers who probably had a lot of free time in their hands, wanted media attention, were malicious and spited her.

Arundhati Roy was alleged that she said the following words “Supreme Court of India is the thief and all these are this touts” and that “goodas in a drunken state” who accompanied her threatened the petitioners’ lives. To which she responds that these allegations are from a “shoddily drafted as the FIR” with “lies, the looseness, the ludicrousness of the charges.” She has strong evidence of the media and fellow companions’ presence during that time to prove so.

She specifies that she is writer and not the leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan however she admired and supports the cause along with the ‘adivasis’ who will lose their lands, homes, livelihood and history in that year’s monsoon due to rising waters of the reservoir of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, with no land being offered to them for rehabilitation by the government. She understands the plight of the villagers and gives them a voice and platform to address their problem. Even in her affidavit, she creatively mentions it repeatedly so that it generates as much media coverage as possible to earn supporters and fight against the mistreatment of socially backward class.

According to her, she did not violate any of the terms under the Contempt of Court Act, did not shout slogans against the court or wanted any one killed and was even present in all her court callings. The fact that she doesn’t even know who her petitioners are is ironic.

Blatant and honest, Arundhati Roy has previously been a victim of false allegations and legal harassment, even with her writings but she takes it in her stride and believes that one cannot be feared, enforced, interfered or dragged to court every time she publishes her views on issues. Yes, those who oppose, disagree, criticize or denounce can choose to do so on the pretext of freedom of speech and expression and she shares that right equally with them. There are bound to be hurdles especially are a male dominated country when it comes to fighting a cause for the unheard clan, voicing her opinion and standing for justice.

India has its own set of problems such as bankruptcy, economic distress and religious intolerance  to deal with as highlighted by Ms. Roy, let alone fabricate issues and frame social workers in public domain who try their best to highlight issue unknown to the common man. She fought back the case by further filing a case of civil and criminal defamation ought to be made to pay damages for the time they have wasted of Apex Court by filing false charges and along with apologizing to all those citizens who are patiently awaiting the attention of the Supreme Court in more important matters. A comeback could not have been better than this. There wasn’t a hint of apology or remorse in the affidavit and she stood by it, which is noteworthy.  

How free is Indian Press?

The freedom of press in a country can be defined as: Journalists are able to do their work without being subject to intimidation or actual violence, and able to report freely without censorship. Article 19(1)

Being a journalist has certain privileges such as:

1) Better access to public events, crime scenes and press conferences

2) Interview public officials, celebrities and those in the public eye.

3) Being socially responsible and being proud of delivering news important to people.

However, sometimes journalists have a hard time publishing the news. There are instances where they are:

1) Brutally attacked or murdered during research or after publishing provoking material.

2) Risk their life while covering issues in a conflict regions.

3) Cannot enter certain areas that are under curfew.

4) Equipment such as camera and light gets damaged if involved in violence; hence problem arises in broadcasting the news.

5) Misled, lured, and threatened by pressure groups like political parties or strong businessmen to publish a certain kind of news.

6) Material written by the editor is censored or fabricated by the editor or higher management as it has to live up to a certain image.

7) Risk their life by going undercover while investigating big cases.

Media organizations need to operate under the following framework:

1) To ensure respect for the rights and reputations of others (anti-defamation).

2) To protect national security, order public (the circumstances necessary to keep a state governable), public health or morals.

3) To prevent incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.

India records 27 deaths of working journalists in the last two decades, making it a fairly dangerous country to practice the profession. According to Committee to Protect Journalists, a total of 864 journalists have been killed since 1992 around the world. India is one of the 13 risky countries where journalists are murdered on a recurring basis and governments are unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Other nations include Iraq, Somalia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Mexico, Russia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Brazil.

Indian press can be termed as independent, but not entirely free. The government tries to censor, corporate try to influence and politicians try to manipulate the consumers of Indian press. Conflict areas such as the Northeast, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Kashmir, terming press as free is ridiculous. The reason being, reporters are harassed, their equipment damaged, they are not allowed to access curfew areas or print any wrongdoings by the military or political force.

A restriction in press indicates that government resists monitoring healthy democracy, government accountability and economic development in the eyes of public. The Indian media form a decentralized and non-conspirational but nonetheless a very powerful propaganda system. It is able to mobilize an elite consensus, frame public debate within elite perspectives and at the same time give the appearance of democratic consent.

Here are some of the factors that influence the freedom of press:

1) Ownership- Most major media houses are owned by large corporations which are primarily interested in profit making. So they try to influence public opinion and policy making in their favor which in-turn helps them maintain their power and maximize profits. 

Example: India Today which used to be the only national weekly who supported BJP is now bought by NDTV and since then the tone has changed drastically and turned into Hindu bashing.

Industrialists who influence the media paint public movements such a strikes a bad thing, according to them, this breaks harmony for the working of industries. Requirements of the laborers are given no importance.

2) Political Parties- the press here has abdicated its rightful role as the guardian of democracy.  However sometimes they stray away from its duties. Many political parties and leaders flock newspapers especially regional ones to propagate their views to a larger audience. While paying a generous amount, they manage to publish news in their favor. Political parties have a huge influence on newspapers as they can also make or break them.

Example: A leading Punjabi newspaper called The Tribune was blacklisted as it criticized the governing of the then Chief Minister.

3) Government- The news media are dependent on government institutions and major businesses with strong biases as sources for much of their information. Government press conferences, press reports, and official figures such as death tolls given by the government, themselves serve as a filter for raw news.

Example: Death toll of the civilians killed by the Indian military in Kashmir is far more in reality as compared to the information provided by the government.

4) Advertisers- Advertisements are the backbone of newspaper’s economy. Majority of their funding derives from advertising and not readers. Since they are a profit-oriented business selling a product to readers, advertisers expect them to publish news which would reflect their desires and values.

Example: The Economic Times posing Times Now as the no. 1 news channel in an advertisement since both are owned by one major company. This is an example of both ownership and free space for advertising.

5) Paid News- Those articles in newspapers and magazines which publish positive news for the institution that has paid for it is known as paid news. This is considered as a serious malpractice as it deceives readers of the actual content influencing them of otherwise; at the same time violate tax laws and election spending laws.

Example: Reams of favorable news was published for Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan during elections. He declared that he spent just Rs 11,379 on advertising but tacitly additional sums would have been paid by either his party or his well-wishers.

6) Bias- Mental blocks and preconceived notions which get in the way of a journalist while reporting knowingly or unknowingly is known as bias. This is done when certain news and event stories are give more weight age over others or given no coverage at all.

Example: Times of India always glorifies the image of Rahul Gandhi as it is a supporter of the Congress party, whereas Indian Express is a pro-BJP establishment.

Basic human rights and democratic censorship drives the news media for the freedom of press and expression. The press acts as a powerful cornerstone of a democracy and India being a highly mixed society, it is responsible to propagate ideas, build opinions and various regional, national and international issues. It is also a hope for correction, watchdog for society and a knowledge provider of the society. However, it comes with a few flaws of its own.

Communication clean of influences and malice should be strived for however one cannot ignore the pressures of various groups trying to run news in their favor. The Indian audience is fairly equipped with voicing their demands and opinions. Those who consume the media in large doses have become a fair judge in deciding what is wrong and right. Yes, the press does influence its readers but not to an extend as the direct environment influences.

Censorship or no-censorship, I feel the freedom of press in India is fairly balanced. Either way, a press house cannot survive without owners, government and advertisers. The press institution is bound to be controlled and abused, at the end of the day, which institution isn’t? Hence, the freedom of press recognized under the constitution has to be exercised within reasonable boundaries.