Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | May 2
“In a place like Nagaland—where history, identity, and political sensitivities intersect—a free press becomes essential for democratic participation, accountability, and peace-building,” remarked Narayan Bahadur, Reporter, Press Trust of India (PTI), Nagaland while underscoring that, “without it, the public narrative can become one-sided, and misinformation can easily take root.”
Speaking to The Morung Express on the eve of World Press Freedom Day that is observed on May 3, he strongly felt that, “in Nagaland, where peace is a continuous process, the press should play a quiet but powerful role in building trust, shaping narratives, and fostering dialogue.”
This year, World Press Freedom Day is being observed under the theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development, and Security.” The theme of promoting press freedom for human rights, development, and security, he also commented, “is deeply relevant today.”
‘Free press - an extension of people’s right’
Further dwelling on some of the most significant threats to press freedom in the state of Nagaland, Narayan cited from field observation over the years, and pointed to some key challenges such as “subtle pressure and influence from various stakeholders, self-censorship specially by upcoming online platforms, limited resources and institutional support for journalists as well as safety concerns, particularly when reporting on conflict-related or controversial topics.”
However, he also strongly advocated that free press is not merely a professional privilege, but an extension of the people’s right to know and in this regard maintained that, “beyond highlighting stories, media can empower vulnerable communities by educating them about their rights under frameworks like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also to distinguish facts from misinformation.”
‘Without asking the right questions, we are in dark’
Observing that press freedom is declining across the world while citing the stark reality of how media is divided in India, Arenjungla Kichu, a journalist with Mokokchung Times underscored that, “without the media asking the right questions, we are in a dark reality.”
She also stated her genuine belief that, “if journalism is free and smart, people who follow it will also be smart.”
Society, she affirmed, is going to be shaped by the media if it can show the way forward not necessarily by being “bold” or “fearless” but by educating people through media platforms.
In the context of Nagaland, even while acknowledging that, “we are all trying our best,” she however emphasized that journalists in Nagaland need to step up a lot more since there are still many things that are left unattended.
While journalists in the state also face the common challenges of low financial income and security, she said that, “we can at least start trying” by going beyond mere reporting and investigating further through deeper research.
On press freedom, she impressed upon that every place has unique challenges. As a journalist who reports from the district of Mokokchung, where everybody knows everybody, she cited that the kinship sort of bonding sometimes comes in the way of reporting the truth with instances of people requesting that certain things be excluded from a news report.
On being asked how she deals with such situations, she said, “I deal with them honestly” while underlining that, “if I don’t stand up for my press freedom, who will?” “There’s no way I am going to write this without being truthful” is something that she adheres to.
She also strongly advocates that journalists should ensure that every story is always two sided especially when it comes to conflict reporting. “If one party is claiming something, then we should also get the other side of the story”, she underlined while asserting in this regard that media should be very careful with terms such as “allegedly” or “reportedly” as readers don't understand or know its significance.
Towards this end, she further urged, “let’s all work towards informing people together, and not just inform but informing well and keep upgrading ourselves.”
‘Free press = freedom of speech’
“Nagaland, being a small and interwoven society, has limited the Press to uncover many loopholes and failures in the functioning of the state”, remarked Loreni Tsanglao, a freelance journalist, who has been working with the electronic media for over two decades now.
She also maintained that the rise of surveillance has made an unprecedented threat to source confidentiality while hindering the ability to report on public interest stories.
However, she categorically stated that, “for me, free press is not just a profession but an extension of the right to freedom of speech and expression while voicing for the people, making them aware of the right to seek and receive information as well.”
Apart from creating awareness on Human Rights by highlighting stories of the vulnerable communities, she also felt that involving different sections of people in talk shows, vox pox directly in the public sphere and collaborating with various NGos and working together would go a long way in generating more awareness on Human Rights.
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