PM Modi has not held a single open press conference: Editors Guild of India

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Sunday criticised what it described as the government's growing intolerance towards media questioning, saying recent confrontations involving Indian officials and journalists from Norway and the Netherlands reflected a broader pattern of hostility towards scrutiny and accountability.

In a strongly worded statement, the Guild said it was concerned by the “embarrassing stand-offs” between Indian government representatives and journalists during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the two European countries.

“The face-off with the European media was triggered by the Prime Minister's refusal to take questions from local journalists after a press briefing,” the statement said.

The Guild drew attention to global press freedom rankings, noting that Norway and the Netherlands occupy the first and second positions respectively in the World Press Freedom Index, while India is ranked 157th out of 180 countries.

“Norway and the Netherlands are number 1 and 2 in the World Press Freedom Index, respectively. India, on the other hand... is at an abysmal 157 out of 180 countries,” the statement said.

‘Journalists were right to ask questions’

While acknowledging that foreign journalists may not always fully understand India's historical and political context, the Editors Guild defended their right to question public authorities.

“It may well be that Western journalists are insufficiently aware of India's past, or even of the significant role that Indian media played in building awareness about the values underpinning India's freedom movement,” the statement said.

“However, they were right about the need for journalists to ask questions in a democracy,” it added.

The Guild expressed concern over what it called the absence of direct media engagement by the Prime Minister during his years in office.

“It is a regrettable fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not addressed a single open press conference during his more than a decade in power,” the statement said.

‘Intolerance increasingly visible’

According to the Editors Guild, the reluctance to engage with questioning journalists is no longer confined to a single incident but has become increasingly visible across different levels of government.

“The same intolerance to being questioned is increasingly being manifested at all levels of government, both at the Central and State levels,” it said.

The organisation argued that restrictions on the media ultimately damage democratic institutions as well as the broader economy.

“Media restrictions hurt our economy and our society,” the statement said.

Concern over shrinking media space

The Guild also addressed India's standing in international press freedom assessments, acknowledging that rankings can be debated but arguing that the country's position should not be dismissed outright.

“One may differ about methodology or implicit bias in such rankings, but India's abysmal position in various press freedom rankings is a matter of grave concern,” the statement said.

It added that such rankings reflect “an increasingly constrained space for the media to effectively discharge its role in a democracy”.

Calling for a healthier relationship between governments and the press, the Guild urged authorities not to regard journalists as adversaries for carrying out their professional responsibilities.

“The EGI calls on the government to refrain from treating the media as an adversary merely for doing what it is supposed to do – hold those in power accountable,” the statement said.

The statement was signed by EGI President Sanjay Kapoor, General Secretary Raghavan Srinivasan and Treasurer Teresa Rehman.