Media trust crisis: Journalists call for more depth, less noise

Hyderabad: Veteran journalists, fact-checkers and media personalities from digital news platforms came together at the Press Club of Hyderabad for a panel discussion on Sunday, August 23, to discuss the ethics crisis and formulate ways to regain the trust of the masses through a panel discussion titled “Trust Deficit in Media: Can the Indian Media Regain Public Confidence?”

The panel discussion marked the second day of the formal launch of the Federation of Press Clubs (FPC). The two-day event concluded with the historic adoption of the Hyderabad Declaration, a comprehensive national roadmap designed to safeguard press freedom, provide legal defence for targeted journalists, implement social security schemes and establish reporting fellowships for underfunded public-interest journalism.

Uma Sudhir, the moderator and former executive editor at NDTV, led the discussions on ways of structuring a way to fight sensationalism, misinformed ecosystems and lack of editorial independence.

In his address to the gathering, N Ram, Director of The Hindu Group and former editor-in-chief of The Hindu newspaper, noted that to gain back the public trust, there is an urgent need to go back to the core fundamentals of journalism. This includes ground reporting, investigation, long-form journalism and explanatory writings.

“Investigative journalism is the forte of print journalism. Data reporting and explanatory reports can strengthen credibility,” Ram said. He advocated for parliamentary-backed codes of conduct, independent statutory self-regulation and ombudsmen to uphold high standards.

Ram also highlighted the necessity of introducing media literacy into the school curriculum so future generations can critically evaluate information.

Pratik Sinha, co-founder and Editor of Alt News, which is a fact-checking initiative, elaborated on the financial issues that compromise the integrity of the media industry. Sinha urged news organisations to develop new economic models that allow interaction with readers, avoiding corporate platforms and algorithms used by big tech.

As Sinha highlighted, employing open-source software and making print analytical journalism available in digital form through videos can help to reach out to younger audiences.

Speaking on behalf of digital media and the future of journalism, Syeda Faiza Kirmani, Digital Desk Editor at Siasat.com, emphasised the duty of digital newsrooms to verify real-time content. She noted that while online mediums speed up news delivery, legacy print and verified digital reporting remain the bedrock of in-depth journalism.

For Kirmani, the future of journalism depends on newsrooms prioritising verification and depth over quick clicks, ensuring digital platforms uphold core public-interest standards.

The conclave ended with the federation’s commitment to establish a network across the Indian press clubs to protect media professionals from any legal and governmental attacks on their rights and develop ethical journalism.