Media is Not the Fourth Estate Anymore, but the First Estate: Ravish Kumar

Manila, September 6, 2019:

Veteran Journalist Ravish Kumar delivered a speech on "The Power of Citizen's journalism to Advance Democracy", in the Philippines after winning the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2019 for his contribution to the media.

Kumar was conferred the award for "harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless" and his "unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards".

While accepting the award, the veteran journalist said that democracies "on fire" can only be doused with information that is pure and with courage, not by mere rhetoric.

Decrying the newly-emerging 'mob culture' in the country, he said that, "Fake news, propaganda and false history on the other hand helps create mobs."

Expressing his concern, Kumar said that the state's surveillance apparatus is more overbearing than ever, and added that the individuals or groups who are able to withstand this onslaught and emerge stronger from it, will be the ones who lay the foundation for a better citizenry and for that matter, maybe even better governments in the future.

Taking a dig at the Narendra Modi-led Government, Kumar said that the state today has established full control over the media and the corporations, and alleged that the" media is now a part of the surveillance state."

"It (the media) isn't the fourth estate anymore, but the first estate", he warned, further adding that the democratic aatma (soul) is under relentless attack every day.

Lamenting the situation in Kashmir, he said that Kashmir is another story. "An information and communication blackout imposed for several weeks. More than 10 million people cut off from any information trade whatsoever. There was an internet shutdown. Mobiles were rendered useless", he said.

Ravish Kumar further lamented that is an unfortunate coincidence that most of India's neighbours are also its neighbours on the press freedom index. India, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar - all fall within 50 ranks of each other, right at the bottom of the international press freedom index released by reporters without borders.

Talking about the new trend of 'citizen journalism', which is especially prevalent among the youth, he said that the definition of citizenship trumpeted by the media doesn't allow for the raising of slogans against the state. However, they have begun to upload their videos on YouTube. Agitators begin to practice citizen journalism. "By uploading their videos on YouTube, agitators have become citizen journalists", he said.

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