The 2021 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked India at 142 out of 180 countries in the world. RSF noted that “India is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists [… who are] exposed to every kind of attack, including police violence against reporters, ambushes by political activists and reprisals instigated by criminal groups or corrupt local officials.” The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in India first in 2014 and for a second term in 2019. Since then, there have been consistent attacks on journalists who question or criticize the ruling dispensation. Violence pervades the profession of journalism in India today. While physical violence is the most visible manifestation, journalists in India face a range of threats including censorship, economic hardships, political pressures and job insecurity. Journalists are routinely threatened, intimidated, arrested, booked and silenced through…

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