Everything is Everything Ep 113: What’s Wrong With the Indian Media?
Aug 23, 2025
The Indian media landscape faces a series of crises, from relevance to trust, each affecting journalistic integrity. The shift from print to digital has altered how news is consumed, leading to financial pressures and degraded quality. The discussion delves into the historical resilience of journalists and the ongoing challenges of misinformation. With traditional media struggling, independent creators emerge as key players, highlighting the need for new support structures and innovative approaches in reporting. A critical examination of these dynamics reveals a complex future for journalism.
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Journalism's Purpose Has Shifted
- Journalism evolved from information scarcity to sensemaking, truth-seeking and watchdog roles.
- Many original reasons for legacy journalistic institutions no longer hold in the abundant-information era.
Purpose Versus Profit In Media
- Journalism faces a dilemma between higher purpose and the business need to make money.
- The business imperative increasingly reshaped editorial choices and priorities in the 21st century.
Yahoo's Originals Killed By Pageview Targets
- Prem Panikkar found Yahoo India forced to chase pageviews where Bollywood paparazzi content dwarfed long-form journalism.
- High-ROI clickbait replaced investment in in-depth originals due to unrealistic pageview targets.
