SECTION B
Essay
125 marks
Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy.
WRITE IN
90 min
1,000–1,200 words
Reading the topic
The topic argues that media slanted by ownership, political alignment, advertising pressure or the chase for ratings undermines democracy by distorting information citizens need. The examiner wants analysis of how bias works in print, TV and social media, and of remedies that do not curb press freedom.
ThesisA free press is democracy's nervous system, and when bias replaces information it misleads citizens more dangerously than censorship, so the remedy lies in pluralism, transparency and media literacy rather than state control.
Dimensions to cover
- 1Constitutional: press freedom flows from Article 19(1)(a), subject only to reasonable restrictions in Article 19(2)
- 2Economic: concentrated ownership and dependence on government and corporate advertising push coverage towards power
- 3Electoral: paid news and partisan coverage distort voters' choices
- 4Social media: algorithms reward outrage and fake news, polarising communities and sometimes inciting violence
- 5Remedies: independent regulators, ownership disclosure, fact-checking and media literacy strengthen the press without censoring it
Counter-view
- Some argue all media have some perspective and a plurality of biased outlets still gives citizens choice. The essay should accept that pluralism helps but show the danger when bias becomes concealed and dominant
Open and close
- Open: Open with the first days of the Emergency in June 1975, when some newspapers ran blank editorial spaces rather than print what the censors allowed
- Close: Close by arguing that democracy needs a press that is free from both the state and its own biases, and citizens alert enough to tell the difference
Where marks usually go
- Calling for government regulation of content, which itself threatens democracy
- Writing only about TV debates and ignoring social media and ownership
- Making partisan attacks on named channels instead of analysing structures
Examples that fit
- CaseIn Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras (1950), the Supreme Court held that freedom of speech includes freedom of circulation, laying the base of press freedom.Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras, AIR 1950 SC 124
- HistoryPress censorship during the 1975-77 Emergency showed how a muzzled press keeps citizens ignorant; some newspapers protested by leaving editorials blank.Shah Commission Report (1978)
- CaseA Press Council of India sub-committee report in 2010 documented 'paid news', in which coverage was sold as news during elections.Press Council of India, Report on Paid News (2010)
- ThinkerEdward Herman and Noam Chomsky argued that ownership, advertising and reliance on official sources filter news, producing bias without overt censorship.Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent (1988)