Media Bought and Sold: Danger to Democracy

Journalist and editor of EPW, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, while speaking in a panel discussion organized by Centre for Policy Analysis talked about the current state of media and its impact on democracy. He pointed out at the fact that with entry of hundreds of new players in the market, news broadcasts has become anarchic. And the main reason behind this anarchism is lack of regulation on them. Most of these regulatory bodies are either not performing their duty or have witnessed appointment of people affiliated to certain ideology. This as a result has given some Newsrooms, the authority to say whatever they want. “Some of our television anchors have become akin to lynch mobs. They are baying for the blood of their own fellow journalists. How are they different from the vigilante groups, who want to lynch somebody because you don’t like their religious beliefs, the meat they are eating”, he asks.