MS Shanker
Once, politicians feared journalists. Today, many honest journalists fear being mistaken for impostors carrying the same press card. Nothing illustrates the decline of a noble profession more painfully than this.
That painful transformation did not happen overnight. It is the consequence of a profession gradually abandoning its highest ideals in pursuit of influence, money, instant fame and political patronage. Journalism, once celebrated as the conscience of society, is increasingly being viewed as yet another business—or worse, a tool for intimidation.
This is not merely a crisis of the media. It is a crisis for democracy itself.
The finest journalists never saw themselves as celebrities. They saw themselves as public servants. Their loyalty was not to governments, political parties, corporations or advertisers, but to the truth and to the people. Their bylines carried authority because every report was backed by painstaking verification, courage and accountability. They exposed corruption, challenged abuse of power, defended civil liberties and amplified the voices of ordinary citizens who otherwise had none.
Many paid a heavy price for doing so. Some lost careers, others faced imprisonment, and a few even sacrificed their lives. Yet they never treated journalism as a shortcut to wealth or influence. It was a calling.
Sadly, that noble calling has suffered a steady erosion.
The digital revolution has undoubtedly democratized information. It has empowered independent voices, broken the monopoly of traditional media and made governments more accountable. Citizen journalism has exposed stories that mainstream media often ignored. These are significant gains for democracy.
But the same technology has also unleashed an epidemic of misinformation, half-truths and manufactured outrage.
Today, owning a smartphone, a microphone and a YouTube channel is often considered sufficient qualification to become a “journalist.” Many who have never stepped inside a newsroom, understood media ethics or learnt the discipline of verification freely claim the title. The distinction between journalism and content creation has become dangerously blurred.
The consequences are visible everywhere.
Rumours are packaged as breaking news. Opinions masquerade as facts. Character assassination is passed off as investigative journalism. Social media trials routinely replace due process. Speed has defeated accuracy, and sensationalism has become more profitable than truth.
Even more disturbing are the recurring allegations that some individuals use the cover of journalism for outright extortion. Across several states, complaints regularly surface of self-proclaimed reporters threatening builders, contractors, traders, government officials, educational institutions and even grieving families with adverse publicity unless money changes hands. Whether every allegation is true is beside the point; the frequency of such accusations has inflicted enormous damage on the profession’s credibility.
A press card should symbolize public trust—not a licence to threaten, blackmail or settle personal scores.
Commercialization has only deepened the rot. Paid news, sponsored narratives disguised as editorial content and agenda-driven reporting have steadily corroded public confidence. Far too many media houses now measure success by clicks rather than credibility, by viral reach rather than verified facts, and by political proximity rather than editorial independence. In the race for ratings and advertising revenue, truth has often become the first casualty.
Equally worrying is the dilution of accreditation itself. Official recognition was never meant to be distributed casually. It exists to facilitate genuine reporting in the public interest, not to confer status or privilege. When accreditation systems become weak or vulnerable to misuse, genuine journalists suffer alongside the public they serve.
The abuse of transparency laws is another unfortunate reality. Instruments such as the Right to Information Act remain among the strongest safeguards against corruption. But when a handful exploit these legal provisions to pressure officials or extract personal benefits, they undermine public faith in both journalism and transparency.
The greatest casualty of all this is trust.
Once citizens stop believing the media, they begin believing rumours. Conspiracy theories flourish. Propaganda thrives. Genuine investigative reports are dismissed as politically motivated, while fabricated stories circulate as unquestionable truth. Democracy cannot function when people no longer know whom to believe.
Yet this is not the time to condemn journalism itself. It is time to reclaim it.
The overwhelming majority of professional journalists continue to work honestly under extremely difficult circumstances. They face lawsuits, threats, online abuse, financial uncertainty and political pressure simply for doing their jobs. They deserve society’s respect and protection—not to be judged by the misconduct of a dishonest minority.
Cleaning up the profession, however, cannot remain an internal conversation. Governments must act firmly against extortion, impersonation, fraud and cybercrime without using these concerns as an excuse to muzzle the free press. Media organizations must strengthen editorial oversight, enforce ethical standards and invest once again in fact-checking and investigative reporting. Journalism schools must produce professionals who understand that credibility is earned over decades but can be destroyed in minutes.
Above all, journalists themselves must remember why the profession exists.
The primary duty of journalism is not to become famous. It is not to accumulate followers. It is not to act as an extension of political parties or corporate interests. It is not to frighten people into paying money or to manufacture outrage for commercial gain.
Its only enduring purpose is to seek the truth, verify it without fear or favour, and place it before the public.
The respect journalism once commanded was never granted by governments. It was earned through integrity. That respect has diminished because integrity has, in too many instances, been compromised.
The profession can certainly reclaim its lost glory—but only when journalism stops chasing power and begins speaking truth to it once again. Until then, every dishonest act committed in the name of journalism will continue to stain one of democracy’s most indispensable institutions.
