Interview: ‘Unity among us is the need of the hour’, journalist Soma Basu says
As journalists mark the World Press Freedom Day, its paramount to defend the works of independent journalists than ever before who are staunchly raising certain legitimate questions against the establishment at this very tragic moment. From Maria Ressa in the Philippines to Siddique Kappan in India, the crackdown on journalists during the pandemic accelerated heavily across Asia. In India alone, 67 journalists were arrested, detained, and questioned last year for their reportage.
Soma Basu, an investigative journalist based out of New Delhi covering environment and human rights in the subcontinent and a recipient of a number prestigious journalist awards including the Kurt Schork Memorial Award for International Journalism in 2017 in a telephonic interview talks about press freedom in India, the emerging trends and her experiences in the field.
Edited excerpts:
1. India has once again ranked at 142nd position on the World Press Freedom Index. Your thoughts on this?
Well am not really surprised at all. It’s natural for the press freedom index to fall considering what’s happening here in India but what’s really bothering is the narrative that’s been built by certain section of the media that everything is fine and branding such reports as a foreign conspiracy. The truth is we really don’t have press freedom at all.
2. Five journalists were detained just in January 2021, which is highest since 1992 according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Clearly there are constant attempts made to muzzle the power of the press. How do we cope with this?
It’s not just about those five journalists and such arrests keep happening now and then. Few are reported while many such arrests fail to come to the limelight. Bihar is one example where number of journalists are either incarcerated or sometimes even killed merely for doing their job and I would say we ought to blame ourselves for such recurring incidents as the industry to which we belong is not united. There are so many lobbies within field that’s pulling it down. Some members within the Editors Guild of India and the Press Council of India seem to have vested interests. It’s important for the journalists in the big cities to stand in solidarity with those reporters in rural or semi-urban areas but that’s not happening. In crisp, being united is how we cope with this.
3. Journalism is one among those industries that’s terribly hit during the pandemic. What kind of changes one can look forward in a post-pandemic world?
I have conflicting views on this. I see that the industry is sort of evolving particularly during the pandemic. Digital news organizations have done well in comparison to the legacy ones which really is positive. COVID-19 pandemic is just a reason for media houses to cut salaries and get rid out of extra work force and invest money in new ventures. I know four organisations whom I don’t wish to name but have done the very same.
4. You started with print and took a plunge into new media later. How do you see the future of news consumption when there is no successful business model for digital and the print is on a decline?
I see that the news market is growing. There are possibilities for diversification. At least two out of ten are now willing to subscribe for news. There is awareness among the people and therefore there’s a good scope. When I got into digital there was a thought that online is shallow and the print gets into the depth of a story, but this perception is changing now. Old school journalists are reluctant to update themselves and move on with the world that’s evolving each day. If you don’t update yourself, you become redundant but when you do it, there’s terrific scope to grow.
5. What prompted you to start Reporter At Large?
Frustration and the urge from within to do something purposeful. I had this idea of starting something on my own and I shared it with my friends at a party. A lot of them promised assistance. I invested two lakh rupees which I received through an award and I got the paperwork done getting it registered as a not for profit organization. It started off well, but I couldn’t run it better because of financial crunch. I managed to raise INR 55,000 through crowd funding but that’s certainly not enough. Though the portal remains inactive we continue to train journalists reporting rural areas and tribal belts which is also an essential part of Reporter At Large.
6. As an environment journalist, are you not worried about the kind of weightage that newsrooms give for stories on sustainable development and climate change in India which is nowhere in comparison to the West?
Well the arctic is melting and lot of viruses are coming our way. I don’t link COVID-19 with this but it is important to realise that environment is a beat that’s as important as politics. Anthropocene is a field of study that deals with ecology which is picking up and I see people getting interested in subjects like these. Editors few years back don’t take the beat seriously, but I believe the trend has changed now. I think there’s a tremendous amount of scope for the beat in India in years to come.
7. Your award-winning investigative piece on Nepali women selling their skin is truly inspiring. Could you please share the story behind the story?
I got a news tip from a businessman when I was working with Down To Earth and I spoke to my sources in Kathmandu on this. I was in Nepal for a summit for three days and I spent the leisure time I had in building this story. The organization was not interested in publishing the story as environment was its focus. I moved on to Zee news and I again had a chance to visit to Kathmandu. I was looking out for leads visiting massage parlours, pubs, temples, and many other places in the city. I later quit Zee news over editorial differences and was jobless for a long time. I travelled to Kathmandu during that period funding my trips on my own. When I joined Youth Ki Awaaz, I published it on their platform. I never thought I would get an award for this story and I felt I could have added a lot more if I had enough resources.
8. Your suggestions for blooming young journalists?
Keep at it, no shortcuts and proper research is the way. I feel young journalists especially those in TV lack patience when it comes to listening to other people. A story is not just about sound bites and it’s important to listen as one story connects to the other. Stick to your guns and never ever compromise your ethics for anything because keeping others informed is a responsible work.
