Foreword

Democracy may have been the most successful political idea of the 20th century, but across South Asia as multiple countries headed to the polls, it became increasingly apparent that its progress in this part of the world has at the very least, stalled.

The region’s outward appearance of democracy faded under autocratic regimes and political polarisation, that pushed power and corruption ahead of civil liberties and fundamental freedoms again and again. Widespread economic crises deepened the fallout and the fissures.

Heaving under the weight of digital disruption in recent years and the vast erosion of stable financial revenue streams, South Asia’s media is still struggling to evolve and shore up its future footing. Combined with shrinking wages and industry rationalisation, scores more journalists left the industry for good, opting for safer work and better livelihoods.

The cracks in the democratic house are clear in almost every space – and perhaps more so in the fourth pillar of the free press. But never has the case for truth been more necessary. Never has it been more important for collective solutions at all levels of society to create safeguards for media.

For democracies to fulfil their promise, they must be nourished with solid, fact-based, independent journalism at a broad scale. In this, professional journalists have a clear duty to inform a diverse range of people, to hold the powerful to account, and to provide comprehensive coverage to empower people with the knowledge they need at critical junctures such as elections.

But this can’t be done by partisan media and political interference. It can’t be achieved by wage starved journalists, ‘clickbait’ journalism and aggressive overregulation. It can’t be delivered without real investment.

After years of misinformation, disinformation and social media manipulation and controls, it is clear that trust in media has been critically weakened – and with it, democracy itself.

Now, as the era of artificial intelligence sets forth a new wave of potential and uncertainty not only in the media but across all facets of life, there is a growing fear that it might also automate democracy and further sideline society.

In this report, Artificial Independence: The Fight To Save Media And Democracy, we explore the complex democratic challenges confronting South Asia. While decolonisation in the last century opened up the possibility of democracy and growth of media, the reality on the ground is still far from achieved in the 21st century. We document the challenges for media and attacks on journalists in this time, including at least 232 violations, including killings, jailings, legal harassment and assaults. In the period, the IFJ and its affiliates recorded eight targeted killings of media workers and 87 cases of jailing, detention or torture. At the time of publication, at least 15 journalists, remain behind bars.

While the picture is bleak in many quarters, innovation and pushback is happening in each country of the region in different ways. Some countries are faring better than others. Importantly, in pockets, thankfully, change is happening. And there is hope – as this year’s report shows.

The overall picture of health remains worrying in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, while Maldives and Bhutan had some measures of democratic progress, yet access to information remained embedded only in law rather than in action. In Nepal, a united front of media workers continued to fight the endemic industry challenge of irresponsible media enterprises emerging and collapsing. But in every country, a determined network of media workers continues to push back. The will is strong.

Across the region, digital media is also growing stronger and is finding critical influence in new arenas like TikTok and YouTube. Unions and civil society are working together and using technology and other means of collectively reinforcing the key tenets of a healthy democracy.

Thankfully media viability as a critical priority is now being more widely discussed. And as journalists are taking seats at the table with governments and global bodies to find solutions and drive agendas, there is an increased acceptance that media as crucial democratic infrastructure must be a priority in future strategies.

In the stories of challenge, defiance and triumph, we document the path of South Asia’s determined media as they work to find ways to power professional journalism. Because without them, there is no story and there certainly is no democracy. This is their journey.

Jane Worthington
Director
IFJ Asia-Pacific