Coordinated spread of false information poses a threat to the press: N. Ram

N. Ram warns of the dangers of disinformation on social media, impacting press credibility and journalistic independence.

Deliberate and often coordinated spread of false information, frequently amplified on social media, poses a significant threat to the press, N. Ram, Director, The The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited, said here on Saturday.

He was inaugurating a seminar on the ‘crisis of the fourth pillar of democracy,’ organised in connection with the Communist Party of India (Marxist)‘s [CPI(M)] State conference. “Misinformation happens all the time in news world. Honest mistakes are made and some of them leave a bad impact, but they can be corrected. But disinformation is deliberate, it’s motivated and scaled up on social media platforms,” he said, pointing out that the challenge lies in discerning between these two, separating genuine mistakes from calculated deception.

Mr. Ram observed internal vulnerabilities as a main factor that has weakened the capability of media to hit back. “The collapse of the old business model has weakened the capability of media houses to stand up,” he said. Highlighting a part from veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai’s book, he said there is some person from the Prime Minister’s Office who picks up the phone if anything they don’t like is printed, particularly in legacy newspapers and major TV channels, further undermining journalistic independence. “He rings up the proprietors or the top people and immediately there is action. The second is the concentration of the ownership, which is already a problem,” he said.

Mr. Ram added that there is still hope, particularly after the last general elections when the BJP lost its majority by quite a lot and is dependent on the allies. “In my observation, this has empowered certain sections of the media, including the mainstream media.”

Pointing out the examples of Hindi journalist Ravish Kumar and vlogger Dhruv Rathee, he said that digital platforms and social media have created space for more voices and today it’s impossible to totally supress everything.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member M.A. Baby was the moderator at the event while Jose Panachippuram, Editorial Director, Malayala Manorama, Noushad, Joint Editor, Madhyamam, G. Sajith Kumar, Kollam Bureau Chief, Mathrubhumi, V.S. Rajesh, Associate Editor, Kerala Kaumudi, V.B. Parameswaran, Resident Editor, Deshabhimani, and R.S. Babu, chairperson, Kerala Media Academy, also spoke.