UPSC CARE 3rd October 2025 Current Affairs

Why in News?

Journalism faces a systemic crisis due to shrinking access to information, weakening public-funded media, dominance of state-aligned narratives, and financial unsustainability of public-interest reporting.

Introduction

• The Journalism is often referred to as the “fourth pillar of democracy” because it mediates between the state and the public, ensuring transparency, accountability, and informed citizenship.
• However, in recent years, journalism worldwide-and in India-has been undergoing a profound crisis.
• This crisis is not merely about individual journalists or platforms; it is systemic, shaped by political, economic, and technological changes that are redefining how information flows and who controls it.

Key Issues Highlighted in the Article

Declining Role of ‘Sources’

• Traditionally, unnamed whistleblowers – or “sources” — challenged official narratives, exposing corruption and abuse of power.
• Today, many ‘sources’ merely amplify the state’s official narrative, branding critics as “foreign agents” or “anti-national,” thereby undermining journalism’s accountability role.

Reduced Access to Official Information

• The executive branch across countries such as the U.S., U.K., Israel, and India has consolidated power, often citing national security to limit transparency.
• Even parliamentary questions and judicial submissions increasingly focus on concealing rather than revealing facts.

Bypassing of Mass Media

• Social media platforms allow political leaders, corporations, and institutions (the “principals” of news) to communicate directly with the public.
• This reduces the traditional mediating role of journalists, as the public perceives direct communication as more authentic.
  • Fragmentation of Journalistic Models
  • Some journalists join majoritarian populist narratives to secure revenues and patriotism badges.
  • Others adopt counter-propaganda models or rely on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and ground reporting to maintain independence.
  • Example: The Hindu’s investigation into manipulation of voter lists in Aland, Karnataka.

Economic Sustainability Challenge

• Quality investigative journalism requires courage, capacity, and capital.
• Profit-driven media rarely funds public-interest reporting due to high costs and low commercial returns.

Weakening of Public-Funded Media

Public broadcasters face crises worldwide:

• BBC’s income declined by £1 billion (adjusted for inflation) since 2010.
• NPR (USA) faces existential funding threats.
• In India, Prasar Bharati never achieved autonomy and has become a government mouthpiece.
• Populist politics often delegitimizes publicly funded media, labelling it as a “scandal” or “biased.”

(Image Source: The Hindu)

Structural Causes of the Crisis

Political Centralisation of Power

• Governments invoke national security laws to restrict information and intimidate whistleblowers.
• Whistleblower protections remain weak (e.g., Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 in India is poorly implemented).

Technological Disruption

• The rise of social media and digital platforms has:
  • Reduced reliance on traditional media.
  • Fragmented audiences.
  • Created an environment ripe for misinformation and propaganda.
• Economic Pressures
  • Declining advertisement revenue for newspapers due to competition from digital platforms (Google, Meta, etc.).
  • Shift toward subscription and paywall models excludes lower-income groups, weakening inclusivity.
  • Profit-driven capitalism struggles to sustain investigative reporting.
• Erosion of Public Trust
  • Perceptions of media being biased or captured by political and corporate interests.
  • Spread of fake news and polarising content diminishes the credibility of mainstream media.
• Global Trends: Similar trends in Israel, U.K., U.S. show that this is not confined to India; it’s a worldwide challenge tied to the rise of strong executives and populism.

Implications of the Crisis

• Democratic Backsliding: Without a robust, independent press, executive power goes unchecked, undermining democratic accountability.
• Informed Citizenship at Risk: Citizens lose access to verified, fact-based reporting, impacting public debate and decision-making.
• Rise of Propaganda and Polarisation: Information ecosystems become dominated by partisan or state-aligned narratives.
• Threat to Investigative Journalism: Lack of funding and institutional support limits exposure of corruption, human rights violations, and systemic issues.
• Weakening Public-Funded Institutions: Diminished autonomy of broadcasters like Prasar Bharati reduces diversity of viewpoints.

Case Studies

• India:
  • Prasar Bharati’s lack of autonomy has restricted its credibility.
  • Investigations like The Hindu’s Aland voter list story show the potential of open-source journalism despite constraints.
• Global:
  • BBC’s budget cuts (£1 billion loss since 2010).
  • NPR (USA) faces funding crises; public distrust is rising.

Way Forward

A multi-pronged approach is essential to address this systemic crisis:

1. Legal and Policy Reforms

• Strengthen Right to Information (RTI) laws and whistleblower protection.
• Ensure statutory autonomy for public broadcasters like Prasar Bharati.
• Enforce transparency in political advertising and digital content regulation.

2. Financial Models for Public-Interest Journalism

• Establish publicly funded grants or endowments for investigative journalism.
• Encourage non-profit newsrooms (like ProPublica in the U.S.).
• Tax incentives for philanthropic contributions to independent media.

3. Technological Adaptation

• Invest in data journalism, fact-checking platforms, and OSINT skills.
• Enhance digital literacy among citizens to counter misinformation.

4. Institutional Rebuilding

• Revive public broadcasters with guaranteed independent funding (similar to the BBC charter model).
• Promote media diversity to counter monopolisation by wealthy owners.

5. Ethical Standards and Capacity Building

• Regular training for journalists in investigative methods and data-driven reporting.
• Uphold ethical journalism codes to regain public trust.

Conclusion

• Journalism’s crisis is deeply intertwined with the political centralisation of power, economic pressures, and technological shifts.

CARE MCQ

Q3. Consider the following statements about the ongoing crisis in journalism:

1. The crisis stems primarily from poor individual journalistic skills rather than systemic factors like executive overreach and technology.
2. The emergence of social media has reduced the traditional mediating role of mass media between news creators and the public.
3. Public broadcasters such as the BBC and NPR are facing funding challenges, while Prasar Bharati in India has struggled to achieve autonomy.
4. Open-source investigations offer an alternative to state-dependent narratives.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2, 3 and 4 only
C) 1, 3 and 4 only
D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer 3- B

Explanation

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The crisis in journalism is largely systemic, caused by executive overreach, technological disruption, and financial pressures, not merely poor individual journalistic skills.
• Statement 2 is correct: The rise of social media allows principals to communicate directly with the public, reducing the traditional mediating role of mass media.
• Statement 3 is correct: Public broadcasters like BBC and NPR face funding challenges, while Prasar Bharati in India has struggled to maintain autonomy from government influence.
• Statement 4 is correct: Open-source investigations, such as The Hindu’s report on the Aland voter list, demonstrate a method of independent journalism less dependent on state sources.
• Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

UPSC PYQ

Q. Which of the following can be said to be essentially the parts of ‘Inclusive Governance’? (2012)

1. Permitting the Non-Banking Financial Companies to do banking
2. Establishing effective District Planning Committees in all the districts
3. Increasing the government spending on public health
4. Strengthening the Mid-day Meal Scheme

Select the correct answer using the codes given below: 

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Ans: C