We are the last nail on the coffin, which is the wane of investigative journalism.

There are three pillars of democracy — the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary; in the ideal scenario, they work independently, in harmony, holding each other accountable. With the power of Article 19(1)(a) — the right to freely express thoughts, opinions, and ideas, the Press had taken upon themselves the role of the fourth pillar of democracy.

With this in mind, let us lay out the situation of Ms. Rana Ayyub, journalist, opinions columnist and the author of 'Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up.' Ayyub has been in and out of headlines for the better part of the past decade. She has been charged with alleged money laundering and tax fraud; the Delhi court has ordered an FIR against her for her tweets on X, and she has been relentlessly monitored and followed by officials for her "safety". Recently, her cell number was leaked, and harassment and threats ensued. The origin of these problems dates to her undertaking the investigative piece for Tehelka magazine in 2010 and for the sting operation exposé of the Gujarat riots in 2002. Although the editors of the magazine, shelved the article, it went on to become a bestselling "brave book". Since the current government came into power in 2014, she has been the target of various malicious pursuits.

In another case, Gauri Lankesh, journalist and activist, was shot in front of her house by two right-wing group Rama Sene members for her critical and out-spoken views on right-wing extremism in India. She was shot to death in September 2017 and the alleged murderers were granted bail and welcomed with garlands in their city in October 2024. Whilst, a key witness of the trial is getting death threats.

On the contrary, Sucheta Dalal, business journalist and author, along with Debashis Basu, uncovered the Harshad Mehta stock market scam. It was one of the largest financial frauds in India. She was awarded the Padma Shri for journalism in 2006 by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

There is the good, the bad and the evil — an unwavering journalist could be awarded the fourth-highest civilian award in the country, could be harassed and charged with lawsuits or could be shot 10 feet away from their home.

In the world's biggest democracy, journalists are targeted for their role, work and activism. As of 2025, India ranks 151 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, which may not look as steep a drop from the 140th position India held from 2002 to 2013, but it shows the deterioration of the country. India ranks amongst countries like Yemen, Iraq and Sudan (Countries that are constantly facing political instability and humanitarian crisis).

The tighter the rein this government tries to impose on the freedom and liberties of its people, the more curated the truth and orchestrated our realities will be.

George Orwell once wrote, "Journalism is printing something that someone does not want printed. Everything else is public relations"; in newsrooms and stations today, journalists are publishing news based on curated official statements. Breaking news is based on tweets or in worse cases he said-she said. The standard of journalism is declining because of the overwhelming information being shared on social media. Investigation, evaluation, fact-checking and developing news take the time and efforts of a team. As riveting as fast pieces of news and quick updates are, thoroughly investigated, extensive and scandalous works are equally important. However, it would be a disservice to ignore the thoroughly examined and presented information by some on platforms like YouTube.

For one of these articles to come to fruition, there are multiple factors to consider— it is time-consuming, one sting can take from eight to 12 months, and it involves frightened whistleblowers and the concern for their protection. Take into consideration that the team undercover has to be paid for this duration without a promise to yield a product, that would meet the journalistic and editorial standards, could be subpoenaed, the outlet may not be able to procure the funds necessary to run the paper/ stations and there is always the possibility that it could piss off your Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

It takes monstrous effort to put together an article of that grandeur and could have pivotal repercussions, for instance, the Watergate scandal published in The Washington Post, widely known for the investigative reporting done by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein caused Richard Nixon to resign from his position as the President of USA in 1974. Three reporters at The Boston Globe uncovered the series of sexual abuse (approximately 249 criminal cases) perpetrated by the Catholic Priests. It took Chitra Subramaniam a decade to unveil the Bofors exposé which was then met with "unsupportive" editors.

Granted that the burden of authentic and factual reporting lies on the journalist, it is also the responsibility of the people to learn from it. There is no such thing as good news or bad news, it is just news. It depends on our perspective. Many were devasted by the passing away of Lankesh, all the talent and potential lost, and some rejoiced in the murder of Lankesh. For some Ayyub's exposé was eye-opening, whilst some wanted it covered up.

For the Press to hold the three pillars accountable, they need support. Reporters must be supported by their editors; the editors must be backed by their executives. The executives are accountable to their bosses, who are businessmen. Business and bureaucracy operate in conjunction. Pressure from lawmakers and lawkeepers curbs dissent and eventually distorts the reality.

Ultimately, the power in a democracy lies with the people. The people decide what they want to see; if they would like to see divulgence or reinforce dogmatism. You decide if want to see the truth about your elected officials or follow disinformation. If you believe that the media has been "bought" by the government, try to discover platforms, outlets, people and ideas that have not been. Seek knowledge and be unbiased in the face of truth. Resist the bandwagon effect.

About the Author

Hritika Jimmy, is a voracious reader and an aspiring author. She is currently working on finishing her bachelors in Journalism in Canada. She has previously published articles and op-ed for local paper and magazines.

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