Imagine Nagaland without the printed newspapers. It would become a society where social media contents replace verified facts, where viral posts take over public opinion and where accountability disappears in the digital void. The absence of newspapers would not just mean the loss of a medium; it would mark the collapse of informed democracy in the society.
The steady decline of traditional newspapers, once the bedrock of credible and accountable journalism, poses a large long-term threat not just to Nagaland’s media landscape but to democracy itself. While digital platforms are offering unprecedented convenience and accessibility, they have also ushered in an era where speed often trumps accuracy, sensationalism overshadows substance and editorial thoroughness is sacrificed at the altar of going viral.
Traditional newspapers, with their layers of fact-checking, editorial oversight and ethical accountability, have long served as society’s watchdogs all over the world. As renowned journalist Bill Kovach once said, “Journalism is what we need to make democracy work.”
Veteran journalist Walter Cronkite states, “Journalism’s ultimate purpose is to inform the enlightened citizenry, without which democracy falters.” Yet, today print revenues are declining and newsrooms shrinking, but no one seems to care.
The closure of the Nagaland Page marks a profound loss for our society, representing not just the silencing of an important media voice but a collective failure by both the Naga society and the government to protect the fourth pillar of democracy. This shutdown reflects the inability of the Naga society to value and sustain independent journalism, which serves as the bedrock of an informed public and responsible governance.
At a time when Nagaland faces critical challenges, the disappearance of such platforms leaves our public discourse poorer. The Sate government’s failure to create an enabling environment for media survival, coupled with society’s passive acceptance of this erosion of press freedom, signals a dangerous complacency towards democratic values. Unless there is an urgent recognition of journalism as an essential infrastructure for development, the risk is greater for Nagaland to slide further into an era of unchecked narratives where truth becomes the first victim.
The answer does not lie in just feeling regretful for the print media, but in reinforcing journalistic ethics across all platforms. Citizens must demand better from all media platforms. As Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame asserted, “The lowest form of popular culture—lack of information, misinformation, and contempt for the truth—has overrun real journalism.”
Newspaper alone cannot resist this tide. Policymakers, civil society and journalists themselves must collaborate to uphold standards, promote media literacy and ensure that truth remains the guiding principle of journalism. Otherwise, we risk a future where the Fourth Estate, meant to safeguard democracy, becomes its weakest link. As A.J. Liebling emphasised, “Freedom of the press is not just freedom to print; it is freedom to think, to question, and to hold power accountable.”
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