So, the government in its largesse has decided to increase the rates they pay to print media by 26 percent. 

Did you see this as a headline or on the front page of your newspaper? Or as an editorial, considering they often take exalted positions and have profound words on far more insignificant things? Or even an op-ed or primetime discussion?

No? Wonder why? 

It’s not because this is a minor budget detail. In fact, this has profound implications for our democracy. To borrow my brilliant colleague Pooja Prasanna’s words – let me explain. 

Bapu was a proponent of ad-free journalism. All the newspapers he published took no advertisements. He did have rich patrons, no doubt, and that was a weakness. When India as a nation state came into existence, the government devised a method to try and keep journalism ad-free. 

State patronage became a solution for journalism to survive. Large, valuable tracts of land and buildings were given to the most well-known media houses on the condition that 66.6 percent of the building space on that land be rented out commercially to sustain the news operations. They also must use 33.3 percent of the premises to run their business of news. Sure, some leases were slightly different, but the basic purpose was to allow newspapers to be funded by the state. It was supposed to insulate them from the pressures of ad revenue. 

That’s why you’ll see many legacy media houses sitting on land worth hundreds of crores in major metros. Fun fact: The National Herald case, which concerns the Congress party’s mouthpiece, is all about the newspaper not using its land for news operations but for commercial rent. 

Want another fun fact? National Herald isn’t the only one to violate its lease agreement. But it’s the only newspaper being pursued so aggressively against our common man’s interest-serving government. That the news media is so soft on the issue has nothing to do with many of them earning crores for themselves by these means, nudge nudge wink wink. 

Then comes public funded government ads being distributed to news media. To those of you who discovered Newslaundry fairly recently, we highlighted this between 2013 and 2014 when we saw a slew of spending on Bharat Nirman ads by the Congress-led UPA government. These ads – which, let’s face it, were terribly made – told us how great the UPA government was, and became the butt of our jokes. Can you blame us? 

But from the UPA-legislated laws like the PMLA and UAPA (which the UPA thought was a very clever way to get leverage on everyone from civil society to the opposition to media houses), government ad spends have been weaponised by the BJP-led NDA too. This to a level which is demonstrated by the way the national media runs propaganda for the government in power. 

I don’t have to explain this. The nature of questions to the prime minister is testament to state patronage. 

Now emerging yet again as the saviour of media houses, the BJP announces a 26 percent increase in ad rates that it will pay using your money to newspapers and magazines. 

We’ve reported on government spending on news before – see here, here, here and here. Don’t hold your breath for newspapers to pursue serious investigations or interrogations of the government in power. This model will take them down the path of broadcast news. 

So, Modiji’s government raises the stakes to a 26 percent increase. That’s fine. The people-funded Newslaundry and The News Minute will match that with a 26 percent drop in our subscription price till the end of November. Because when they go high, we go low. Do your bit. Click here to subscribe. 

And if you’re a subscriber already – thank you! Please gift a subscription to someone whom you think needs to understand this huge gap in our democracy. 

This isn’t a Congress-BJP or NDA-UPA issue. This is about how journalism should be funded. You should have agency on what kind of journalism you support. Remain informed for a better country and a better future. 

Send this to someone who understands and realises, or wants to realise,  the importance of a free media. And demonstrate to the government that their 26 percent increase in patronage which is funded by the taxpayer is nothing compared to the 26 percent discounted voluntary support for those who truly value journalism. 

Because when they go high, we go low. And when it comes to democratic values, when they go low, we go high – because we ride on your shoulders.