Note 051
Press freedom in India: law, ownership, and pressure
India does not have a separate constitutional article for the press. Press freedom is read into Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which gives citizens…
Indian Democracy in 100 Notes · Theme 6 of 10
📰 Media & information
Press freedom, TV ratings, social media, deepfakes, and a practical toolkit for checking a viral claim and reading the news like a civil studies student.
Note 052
Television news and the TRP economy: what drives the debate
Television Rating Points, or TRPs, are estimates of how many people watch a programme or channel. In India, the Broadcast Audience Research Council, known…
Note 053
Social media and politics: WhatsApp, YouTube, and short video
For many Indians, politics now arrives first on a phone rather than in a newspaper or on a television bulletin. WhatsApp groups connect families…
Note 054
Misinformation and deepfakes in election season
Election season raises the stakes for false information. A misleading claim about a candidate, a voting date, a polling station, or an exit poll can…
Note 055
Fact-checking: how to verify a viral claim in 5 minutes
You do not need special software to do a useful first check of a viral claim. You need a short routine, and the discipline to pause before sharing. The…
Note 056
Government advertising and media independence
Governments are among the largest advertisers in India. Central and state governments publicise health campaigns, welfare schemes, examination dates…
Note 057
Digital regulation: IT Rules, takedowns, and free speech
Online speech in India sits between two constitutional ideas: freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a), and the reasonable restrictions…
Note 058
Public broadcasting: Doordarshan, AIR, and their role today
Public broadcasting is meant to serve citizens, not only advertisers or subscribers. In India, that job belongs mainly to Prasar Bharati, the statutory…
Note 059
Regional language media: where most of India gets its news
A national debate in English is not the same as the national debate in India. Most Indians get their news in Hindi or in another Indian language — Tamil…
Note 060
How to read news like a civil studies student: sources, bias, and evidence
Reading news well is not about finding a perfectly neutral outlet. Every newsroom makes choices: which stories to cover, which facts to put first, which…