From the early ‘90s, especially when Dr Manmohan Singh as finance minister kicked off economic reforms, Bharat began its arduous journey to reconnect with the world in its own unique way. It’s only now that Bharat is asserting and carving out a niche space for itself. In these last 30-odd years, several global media houses either sent their correspondents here or opened full news bureaus. Some have had multiple teams like the British Broadcasting Corporation that even began offering news packages in Indian languages. Television, digital media and radio networks apart from print newspapers from all continents have had their pres💯ence before and after economic reforms were rolled out. Capturing trends in a nation on the move has become an inevitability for media outlets.
From CNN, and Fox to ABC, you name the news outlet and it has been represented in this country. Similar is the case with the top four news agencies and beyond. Both European and the US media houses have, ov꧂er the years, evolved content-sharing arrangements with Bharatiya counterparts. Most foreign media companies’ editorial policies may have been driven or influenced by their Indian partners. Also, top Bharat-bred journalists have anchored news operations for top-notch media bran🐽ds internationally. Given the globe-trotting nature of Bharatiya professionals, several of our big names helm news outlets internationally.
In this backdrop, a couple of foreign media professionals leaving Bharat due to circumstances ‘beyond normal’ have kicked up a debate in the community. Avani Dias, South Asia Bureau Chief of Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) exit for personal reasons has been twisted to say that it was due to “undue pressure” from the Indian government. French journalist Vanessa Dougnac’s🍌 departure a few months back also hit the front pages in Bharat and France. In both these cases, facts are diametrically opposite to what appeared on the news networks.
A new assignment at ‘Four Corners’ clinched in June 2023 and a wedding in December 2023 were reported by Australia Today as prime reasons for Avani Dias’s to return to Australia. Reported violation ofꦡ journalists’ work vi𓃲sa conditions led to the exit of French journalist Vanessa Dougnac. Interestingly enough, both claimed that “there was no press freedom in India” or it was “very difficult” to function as a newsperson in Bharat.
Is it even possible to control well diversified and organised media industry in this country? In one of the public speeches, an 88-year-old BBC veteran Mark Tully lamented that “developments in India” were not pro⛄perly reported. After all, Tully has ꧟a point.
Beginning with the BBC tax surveys, foreign journalists’ exit to charges on press freedom, has something seriously gone wrong with internation🍷al media? Have they lost it all together? Or is it the colonial mindset that drives a few foreign journalists’ cheap theatrics? Should Bharat revisit its whole policy on foreign media engagement as companies, joint ventures, representative offices and sending news professionals?
The author is Director & Chief Executive of New Delhi-based non-partisan think tank, Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.