India’s New News Economy: Where journalists publish without any gatekeepers
The Changing Face of Independent Journalism in India

Corporate interests pull strings on the freedom of press. Freelancers bleed for stories without support. In India’s conflict areas and rural areas, brave voices do not hold back. Can independent journalists break free?

By Aatreyee Dhar

Big money has tightened its grip on India's free press in recent years. Reliance, Ambani, and Adani exemplify this trend of concentrated media ownership and control. Accurate information and trusted news are now more essential than ever for democracy. Independent journalism must dismantle the crony capitalism that increasingly controls Indian news organisations. It maintains autonomy from both government influence and commercial control in its reporting. Media websites like Newslaundry, News Minute, Scroll, and Wire are the vanguard of India's independent journalism today. Overall, the state of journalism in our country leaves much to be desired.

Last year, India ranked 151st out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index. Reporters Without Borders compiled the index, which paints a troubling picture of press freedom. India's independent media faces significant challenges including economic pressures and government threats through harassment. Consider what happened to Kashmiri freelance journalist Gafira Qadir last September. Hindu nationalist trolls targeted her with coordinated online harassment after her critical film review. She had criticized "Songs of Paradise" for erasing Kashmir's political realities in Middle East Eye. Journalism has become far riskier in Manipur, engulfed by ethnic conflict since 2023. The Imphal Valley has effectively divided journalists along strict ethnic lines and territorial boundaries. Local reporters can now only cover areas dominated by their own ethnic communities safely. In December 2024, Impact News TV cameraman L. Kabichandra was wounded by gunfire. He was shot while reporting in Thamnapokpi during an assignment covering the ethnic conflict. In February 2025, correspondent Yambem Laba was abducted from his home by militia members. A Meitei militia group took him after he criticised militant activities on television broadcasts. Independent journalist Makepeace Silthou faced FIRs for criticising the Manipur government's conflict handling. She had posted her criticism of the government's response on her social media accounts.

One independent journalist, who requested anonymity, described pressure to conform to majoritarian narratives today. When journalists upset specific interest groups or the government, intense criticism follows their reporting. Threats of violence and personal slurs aim to shame journalists into providing more favorable coverage. "It is one thing to run into trouble with the government," the journalist said. "It is another to be ambushed by online mobs when you question their historical narratives." These groups use the same weapons the state uses to suppress uncomfortable truths effectively. "Your nationalism is questioned if you come from certain social positions or regions," they added. "Your nationality is questioned if you come from minority or disempowered communities," they said.

The systemic issues in independent journalism that persist today

Independent news outlets employ contributors — freelance journalists who work alongside their full-time staff. But these contributors face persistent discrimination on every assignment. They are denied the protection and support that staffers receive as standard. Romita Saluja, an independent journalist known for bold long-form investigations from troubled areas, has confronted this systemic issue repeatedly. At a journalism meet-up, a renowned editor dismissed freelancers’ concerns. The editor led a well-established independent media platform. He blamed freelancers for their struggles rather than addressing systemic problems. “I have always directed people to independent outlets that uphold journalism's values,” she says. “But I was shocked by this top editor's response.” He told her that freelancers' problems weren't his concern. He argued it was their choice to work independently. “He acted as if only staffers do the grind,” Saluja says. “Newsrooms should at least acknowledge when they benefit from freelancers.”

In another instance, when she approached an independent outlet with an investigative series, they showed immediate interest. But the reporting would require several trips surveying fifty to sixty people across different towns. The outlet hesitated to cover her travel costs, especially after she had already paid for pre-reporting. "Independent outlets should support financial expenses for major stories like they do for full-timers," she says. "I am sure they wouldn't negotiate travel expenses with staff. I'm not even asking for medical coverage or insurance—just basic travel costs.". She borrowed money from her parents to pursue the story without constraint. That was just the tip of the iceberg. After several reporting trips, her resources ran thin and she needed funding desperately. She applied to grant bodies for support, only to face rejections repeatedly. She had collected crucial evidence and secured a letter from the publication. Many grants require several reference letters from different editors or publications though. Procuring more than one reference letter seemed quite exhausting enough for her situation.

"I couldn't apply to several grants because their demands for multiple reference letters seemed excessive," she says. "As if we sit with our editors over coffee so frequently that such letters get handed over instantly." Ritwika Mitra, an independent journalist, also finds the application process draining. Collecting documents like publisher letters and finding outlets with large subscriber bases consumes vital energy. Adapting pitches to meet grant requirements depletes resources that should fuel storytelling. “The energy reserved for creative work gets lost in fulfilling these demands from grant bodies,' she says. “When you constantly reshape your pitch, the original vision of the story fades.”

The rise of independent journalists creating content

In India, these creators matter because they offer alternative perspectives in a media environment many view as partisan. Former mainstream journalists such as Ravish Kumar have built massive following on YouTube by offering independent and critical commentary on the government. Social media platforms give them freedom to express fierce opinions, unlike regulated broadcast environments that accommodate corporate concerns. Rather than recycling conventional news agendas, these “journo-influencers” engage audiences with topics demanding deeper dives. Unlike influencers who star in their content, journalists typically get out of the way of the stories they cover. Now, technology allows these roles to merge, creating journo-influencers who actively participate in their reporting. This approach helps them build dedicated communities genuinely invested in their coverage.

For Neetu Singh, an independent journalist who has ventured into the space of journo-influencer through her YouTube channel Shades of Rural India, the vision is clear. Her grassroots media platform amplifies unassuming but spirited voices from rural India, especially women. She rejects the model of anchors shouting into microphones for ratings and manufactured outrage. "For mainstream media, ground reporting only matters when politicians visit," Singh said. "We can't ignore the foundation, rural stories and voices are too important to drown out. Otherwise, no one listens to hardworking rural people, especially women denied basic care and dignity." Her channel asks tough questions of the government when necessary. During village visits, she investigates whether schemes or government programs have improved rural lives. When Singh launched her channel in April 2021 after leaving her position at Gaon Connection, she did everything herself. For six months, she was reporter, video editor and producer combined. The following year, she documented the absence of basic public services through Soni Vanvasi's story. Soni belonged to the Musahar community, considered among India's most marginalised castes. She lived in a Chitrasenpur village slum in Varanasi's Sevapuri block. Singh's tweet about Soni went viral. Within 12 hours, she raised enough money to cover medical costs for the girl, whom doctors said suffered from acute malnutrition. The story's impact led to health checkups for every child and installation of tap water — a first.

Typically, professional content creators maximise algorithmic reach by tailoring content to platform preferences. Singh struggles to prioritise this because of resource constraints. "You're supposed to post at least three stories weekly to maximise YouTube reach," she said. "We're just four people. Most of the time, faith determines what goes viral. You can't predict which story will resonate or when." When her employee Shabnam Gurung posted a video of a girl riding a toto in North Bengal, Singh's Facebook page got monetised. Subscribers jumped from 6,000 to 12,000 in one day. "That story wasn't much work, but the protagonist was vocal, which helped," Singh said. "Other times you pour everything into a story from edits to scripts and the reach is poor." Her channels haven't reached financial viability yet. Meanwhile, she has found ways to keep her project alive. "You strip personal expenses to the minimum and find ways to report on a shoestring budget," she said. When I interviewed her, she was in Chitrakoot for a story. Unable to afford hotels, she decided to stay in someone's office, offering training sessions in exchange for accommodation.

This financial precarity defines much of independent journalism in India today. Yet journalist-creators like Singh persist despite the instability. They are driven by conviction that certain stories matter more than profitability. Singh's path to monetising Facebook and YouTube has been unpredictable. Stories she never expected to go viral provided the views needed for monetisation. Whether this model can sustain independent journalism over time remains uncertain. For now, rural voices have found a dedicated advocate in Singh's platform.