image source, YEARS
image caption, A woman campaigning during a CJP demonstration on Monday.
published July 21, 2026 08:15 IST
Reading time: 6 minutes.
It is no longer something new that the media or journalists become the target of any major protest. This was also seen in the Gen Z protests in Nepal last year.
Protesters set fire to the office of leading Nepali language newspaper Kantipur. The same thing happened in Bangladesh. The office of the leading English newspaper The Daily Star was set on fire.
Dissatisfaction with the media was clearly visible at the Tharakan Janata Party’s march to Parliament on July 20 in India. In fact, in the last few years, many questions have been raised regarding the role of media in India.
It seems like which media are pro-government and which are anti-government. It is said that in such a situation, the media in India has become very polarized.
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During the protests on July 20, people raised slogans expressing dissatisfaction with journalists of certain media outlets. There is a discussion on social networks about how correct the protesters’ attitude towards the media is.
On Monday, angered by the media, some journalists whose image is not pro-government were also attacked while reporting.
Reposting a video clip of him being angry at journalists during a protest, journalist Poonam Pandey wrote on X: “There may be anger at journalists, but attacking reporters is wrong.” It is the reporter who comes down to earth, be it hot sun or rain. Anger must come out in the right place.
In response, Vijeta Singh, deputy editor of leading English newspaper The Hindu, wrote: “It is important to distinguish between TV journalists and anchors, anchors and senior journalists who spread hate on television. Most TV journalists are very hardworking.
image source, Getty Images
image caption, Rapid Action Force (RAF) troops fired tear gas to disperse Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the NEET exam.
Journalists argue among themselves
image source, Getty Images
image caption, CJP protesters use an iron pan and a damp cloth to reduce the impact of tear gas shells fired by the Delhi Police.
But this statement by Vijeta Singh did not go down well with Shekhar Gupta, former editor of Indian Express and founder of The Print.
In response, Shekhar Gupta wrote, “No Vijeta, we cannot let the mob decide which journalists to love and which to hate.” Whether senior or junior, every journalist should feel completely safe while doing their job. A journalist who is “good” to one crowd may be a “villain” to another.
“This trend started during the Anna movement and even at that time many supporters supported it. It was wrong then and it is wrong even today.
Alt News co-founder and editor Pratik Sinha seemed to disagree with Vijeta Singh’s comments. He responded to X: “What does hard work have to do with this? Are we saying that their bosses don’t work hard? If I join the Nazi Party propaganda machine and work hard there, should I be spared criticism just because I don’t make decisions? That’s what happens?”
“A police constable also works hard. But when he uses a lathi, shouldn’t he be held accountable? It is true that young journalists have a hard time finding work. But there are also many young journalists who do not choose to work in the mainstream Indian media environment, which they consider toxic. Anyone who decides to become an extension of an authoritarian government in any form must feel the fear of the consequences of that decision and must sleep with that fear every night.”
Senior journalist Abhisar Sharma disagrees with Shekhar Gupta’s argument. In response, he wrote: “Even during the Anna movement, only two types of journalists were persecuted. One was the one who was said to be a Radia supporter and who also carried out disgusting propaganda against Newsclick. Secondly, the one who was said to be a drunkard and a government supporter and wore the mask of a journalist. Violence of any kind cannot be supported. Neither against ground reporters nor against anchors.”
But why has your criticism of this government’s perceived injustices towards independent journalists and media outlets been so slow? You were once an inspiration. What has changed? Why don’t we see so much anger over cases where journalists are actually harassed, Shekhar ji?
image source, Getty Images
image caption, Police personnel resorted to lathi charge to disperse protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) march demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
polarized media
News Laundry co-founder Abhinandan Sikri also criticized Shekhar Gupta’s comment and tweeted, “Your statement is full of flaws on many levels and cannot be explained on Twitter. If you accept the invitation, I would be happy to discuss this in detail.
Abhinandan Sikri wrote in another comment: “Look closely at the so-called mainstream media that has reached Jantar Mantar to defame the protest. Also identify those non-journalist thugs who are there for the same purpose. This is his level and this is the group he belongs to.
But Aaj Tak’s political editor Moushumi Singh echoed Shekhar Gupta’s view and wrote, “I completely agree with you. I too had to face threats, attacks and insults during the Sabarimala movement and the farmers’ protests.
“A female reporter from another news network covering unrest on a national highway was allegedly assaulted and dragged under a bridge. She was a journalist who had started new reporting and was absolutely horrified by the incident. Any type of violence against journalists, be it physical or verbal, cannot be justified under any circumstances.
Renowned columnist and author Tavleen Singh wrote, “They should declare themselves Doordarshan 2.0 and give up their pretense of independence.”
AB Ravi, the founding editor of Short Post, wrote an article in the English magazine Open on June 28 last month in which he said that the situation has changed a lot due to today’s “dog eat dog” situation, noisy TV journalism and toxic debates on social media.
A.B. Ravi wrote: “He says one of the reasons for this change was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi limited informal access of journalists to ministries and ended the tradition of taking journalists with him on foreign trips. Today, instead of becoming a lifelong profession, journalism is becoming a means of entry into politics or public relations (PR).
Published by the BBC News Team.
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