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HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

newslaundry.com

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Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#31

Post by bzb6 »

rainingcatndogs wrote: post #22
naruvimama wrote: post #17

If I had to fund a media organisation in a foreign country which only runs losses. Either I am a philanthropist or more likely have a sinister motive. Several foreign dictatorships are heavily invested in controlling the media narrative in India. This was perhaps triggered by the war with China. India's liberal foreign ownership gives China a one way strategic advantage.

But unfortuanately(as a side effect?) policies like this hinders the operations of goodwill nonprofits like Amnesty International[1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/29/amnesty-to-hal...

AI is liberal imperialism. I disagree with calling it “goodwill” as if they were universally good.

Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#32

Post by fakedang »

rainingcatndogs wrote: post #22
naruvimama wrote: post #17

If I had to fund a media organisation in a foreign country which only runs losses. Either I am a philanthropist or more likely have a sinister motive. Several foreign dictatorships are heavily invested in controlling the media narrative in India. This was perhaps triggered by the war with China. India's liberal foreign ownership gives China a one way strategic advantage.

But unfortuanately(as a side effect?) policies like this hinders the operations of goodwill nonprofits like Amnesty International[1]. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/29/amnesty-to-hal...

Lol, it's not a side effect.

Huff Post and Amnesty Intl tend to lean liberal, which means butting heads with the current Hindu nationalist government and its agenda. As a very recent example, the Netflix kissing scene between a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl generated great outrage within the ruling party, and was covered with great disdain (or not covered) by most local media, and once things got dicey, international media began covering it, albeit by taking a stance opposite to the government.

Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#33

Post by AntiImperialist »

mulmen wrote: post #14
AntiImperialist wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a big chunk of the mainstream traditional media in India is pro-establishment and pro-government And? Why would you not be pro your own government? Should the media be against the government that people elect and which protects people's rights? Should the media be pro foreign governments and agencies?

I interpret pro-government as "supports the current administration's agenda". You seem to be interpreting it as "anti-anarchy" or at least 'pro-democracy". But a free (to be critical of the government's policies!) and independent press is crucial to the functioning of a democracy.

Well, in practice, there is not much difference.

The same freedom that allows the media to criticize legitimate concerns when it comes to the government also allows hostile foreign interests to amplify minor issues or manufacture fake ones to take down the government and install one that they can control from the outside, often to the detriment of the country and the citizens. So, my theory is that the countries that will succeed over the next decades are the ones which can protect themselves from foreign influence, by kicking out foreign interest groups, "aid" agencies, investments, apps, "news" sites etc. which India is doing. The obvious side effect will be that legitimate concerns and legitimate organizations which are detrimental to the establishment will also be suppressed. But I don't think there is a way to not do that.

Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#34

Post by fakedang »

blueblisters wrote: post #30
throw93 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is crazy because in India political parties can indirectly accept foreign funding through a recent change in constitution by ruling party. Foreign funding of political parties is equally if not more dangerous than foreign funding of news media.

Also these donations are anonymous (to the public) so it's even more egregious that the opposition leaders have not managed to make this into a larger issue (maybe it benefits all parties?).

Incorrect. The opposition in India has been largely castrated, mocked and vilified by media sources in most of the country, especially non-English media.

For the record, I read somewhere that the current Indian ruling party is the wealthiest ruling party in the world with an AUM of $3B (this is an outdated number btw). Meanwhile the opposition has barely enough money to fund the construction of its own headquarters.

Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#39

Post by ponker »

bzb6 wrote: post #2

Doesn’t seem so crazy that they don’t want some foreign media mogul to influence their country.

Well yes, they can easily suppress anti-government writing from Indian residents with credible threats of violence. This law is to protect the government from critics abroad where the Indian government cannot reach.

Re: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

#40

Post by ponker »

AntiImperialist wrote: post #12
ashleshbiradar wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

a big chunk of the mainstream traditional media in India is pro-establishment and pro-government. Digital news organizations were predominantly anti-establishment, thus the efforts by the government to toe the organizations to its line. First it introduced the FDI regulations for foreign media as mentioned in the article. Second they have recently proposed to bring Digital news organizations and streaming platforms u…

a big chunk of the mainstream traditional media in India is pro-establishment and pro-government And? Why would you not be pro your own government? Should the media be against the government that people elect and which protects people's rights? Should the media be pro foreign governments and agencies?

Ask nicely and Modi might give you a courtesy tap.
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