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Indian Media: When Remaining Independent Becomes the Last Option

Amid regulatory hurdles, funding constraints and mounting obstacles, a large section of the Indian media is struggling to remain independent. These problems couldn't have hit at a worse time, right in the middle of election season.

By Inderpal Singh and Sudip Ghosh
New Update
Indian Media

Indian Media: When Remaining Independent Becomes the Last Option | Representative image | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement

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Last year, around Independence Day in India, Karma Paljor, the Editor-in-Chief of East Mojo, a prominent digital news platform, issued a heartfelt appeal. His YouTube video bore the urgent headline, "East Mojo is on the verge of shutting down but you can help us survive." This desperate plea for support pretty much encapsulates the dire state of Indian media outlets that do independent journalism

"24 hours before Independence Day, we founded eastmojo.com in 2018. Today, on Independence Day, we are not celebrating, as you can see. We are packing up to move to a smaller and more affordable office. Why? Because five years after starting East Mojo, I can only say with a heavy heart that we are at a point of no return. Over the next few weeks or months, we could either rise again or simply shut down," said Paljor in his video appeal. 

Paljor is a recognisable face in Indian media. Formerly an anchor with CNN News 18, he left the glitz of mainstream media to pursue independent journalism, aiming to represent the Northeast and bring stories from the region to the rest of India. Most stories from the Northeast often don't get reported in mainstream media or are relegated to very little space on the inside pages of newspapers and minimal coverage on TV news.

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Why do digital media outlets like East Mojo, despite their stellar reporting, continually face financial challenges? The Indian digital media landscape has evolved significantly, with numerous news outlets vying for space on the internet. However, for those

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