From left, Matthew Winkler, former editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, Shashi Kumar, President, Asian College of Journalism and N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Publishing Group at a discussion in Chennai on Monday. , Photo credit: B Velankanni Raj
The Hindu Publishing Group director N. Ram said in a discussion that freedom of speech in India is already regulated as the country does not have constitutional guarantees like the US’s First Amendment, which states that Congress cannot curtail freedom of speech and expression. With Matthew Winkler, former editor-in-chief, Bloomberg News, at the Asian College of Journalism.
Talking about the world’s richest man in the media business, Mr. Winkler said that while there is no straight answer to how media ownership by barons reflects on its functioning, good journalism has a lot to do with resources- have to give. Referring to billionaire Jeff Bezos’ ownership of The Washington Post, Mr. Winkler said the news outlet has benefited from Bezos’ acquisition and has faced no editorial constraints.
Sri Ram said that freedom, or what was left, was taken away by the super rich in Indian English television news. He said, “Having said that, I want to emphasize that there are many places in the Indian media where relatively independent journalism can work, because readers and audiences support it.”
Speaking about journalism during the war, and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, the speakers said that ‘war-time propaganda’ could be disseminated. “We know that the truth in war is often the first casualty,” Mr. Winkler said, adding, however, that there has been much credible reporting and commentary from Ukraine.
On the latest tools available at journalists’ disposal, Mr. Winkler said there are better resources to do smarter, faster and better journalism in the digital age.