In a candid conversation about India's media landscape, the Chief Sub-Editor of Punjabi Tribune Davi Davinder Kaur spoke about political pressures that can be exerted on journalists and media houses, as well as the new threats posed by fake news and social media.
Having worked with the Punjabi Tribune for almost 20 years now, Davi Davinder Kaur told SBS Punjabi, "Continuing to publish impartially and fearlessly is a challenge for most media organisations."
Speaking about pressure exerted by vested interests, Ms Kaur said, "I'm a desk journalist and I can say for sure, it's the field journalists who face that at most times. Even so, ultimately the buck stops with us desk journalists, and we have to ensure we maintain journalistic standards of our organisation. And I can tell you, maintaining those standards across the board in a media house is no mean feat these days."
When asked about political interference into media reporting, Ms Kaur said, "Who would know it better than the Tribune? Our advertising revenue was stifled and our ads were stopped because of our impartial reporting. A petrol bomb was thrown at the house of one of our journalists – but we have carried on, because readers stood by us."
Responding to the allegation sometimes leveled at media organisations that news is for sale nowadays, Ms Kaur said," News can't be killed. If one newspaper doesn't report it, another will - and readers are discerning. They know what's going on."
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But she added, "A new type of pressure is now being exerted on media houses that insist on balanced reporting – a propaganda machine is often propped up by vested interests, who publish counter-narratives as an alternate 'news' in order to counter fair and impartial reporting.
She commented about the threats faced by journalists like Ravish Kumar and more recently the forced resignation by Prasoon Vajpayee and lamented the fact that media organisations are run by very few powerful people now.
"Media ownership is limited to a few business houses. It's the big corporates that run media houses these days - you have the same thing in Australia - media ownership is limited to very few hands."
She agreed that the media market is now heavily polluted, especially when claims and counter claims surface on social media.
"It's become far too easy to sensationalise anything and present it via social media. We as journalists check and double check the news before we publish it as authentic news, but that's not what happens with social media - it's veracity is hard to ascertain. So the readers have to be more vigilant when presented with such embellished news."
When asked about the future of journalism, Ms Kaur said, "It's in the hands of the people - they will have to decide for themselves."
She added, "I’m hopeful that the new generation will take charge and affect positive change. Punjab has given birth to many revolutions and I'm optimistic that will come about too."
"I'm heartened to see so many youngsters involved in groups that are working for change. And my special message to all Punjabis living in Australia is – please shun these vulgar songs that glorify weapons, violence, alcohol and intoxicants."
'We don't need ‘fukre’ songs, we need a change."
"I ask of you all to pray for Punjab, and bless the younger generation brings about a clean revolution."
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