Indian media is experiencing Stockholm syndrome: Veerappa Moily

Indian media professionals suffer Stockholm syndrome, tolerating attacks and restrictions without protest, leading to decline in press freedom.

Indian media and media professionals seem to be experiencing Stockholm syndrome, as they forget to react or protest even as they are silenced, smothered or slayed, M. Veerappa Moily, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, has said.

Addressing media professionals and journalism students at the National Press Day programme organised by the Karnataka Media Academy here on Saturday, the former Union Minister, who has handled portfolios such as Information and Broadcasting and Law, came down heavily on the current state of affairs of the media.

“Where are the front-running media houses and journalists today? They are all silenced or killed. Many of them seem to be experiencing Stockholm syndrome, tolerating what is happening to them, unable to react, resist or protest,” Mr. Moily lamented.

He said there have been attacks on a number of journalists, some were killed, there were instances of fake implications on them, and overall there has been a lot of pressure put on them, in the last few years. The veteran Congress leader further observed that the media was “committing suicide” by not asking questions, yielding to restrictions, and tolerating all harassment, all apparently willingly.

‘’And those who dared to question the government have been either silenced or edged out of the profession. And that’s why India continues to slide in the global freedom indices and on press freedom and has been falling to the bottom of global rankings,” Mr. Moily observed.

He called upon young media persons and aspirants to inculcate in themselves the ability to ask questions to the authority, boldly and without any fear or favour. “You are the ombudsman of the nation,” Mr. Moily said.

According to Mr. Moily, another challenge the media faces today is that the press is not found necessary by the Prime Minister to interact with and inform, and to that extent the press is deprived of information.