Godi media (Hindi pronunciation: [ɡoːdiː]; lit. 'media sitting on lap'; idiomatic equivalent: 'lapdog media';)[1][2][3][4] is a pejorative term coined and popularised by veteran journalist Ravish Kumar for the sensationalist and biased Indian print and TV news media, which supports the currently ruling NDA government (since 2014).[5][6][7] The term is a pun on the name of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has become a common way to refer to television and other media that are perceived as mouthpieces of the ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party.[6][8]
As per an opinion piece by Debasish Roy Chowdhury for Time magazine, Modi's ascension to national power in 2014 led to the taming of India's media. His rise coincided with a reorganisation of the editorial authority of some of India's most important news institutions, particularly national television networks. The previous generation of senior editors, who were viewed as more devoted to India's liberal outlook than the BJP's Hindu nationalist ideology, were moved out, and new channels and news leaders with devotion to the BJP and Modi were developed. Because of their large state and party advertising budgets, India's state and central governments hold considerable control over media companies.[9] In the 2019-20 fiscal year, the central government alone spent roughly ₹1.95 crore (equivalent to ₹2.3 crore or US$290,000 in 2023) on advertisements per day.[10] Access to power and business favours are additional incentives for the media to continue with the pro-BJP messages. This ensures that bad news never affects the government or goes public. With a few exceptions, the government has made sure that the media outlets seek government approval for their reporting.[9]
The term was coined and popularised by veteran journalist Ravish Kumar, about the sensationalist and biased Indian print and TV news media supporting the NDA government. The term translates to "media sitting on the lap".[6][11] In one of his shows, Kumar used silent actors to mime "godi media". This was accompanied by miming what the currently ruling party leaders wanted to listen to, using the Hindi film song "Bagon Mein Bahar Hai".[12]
In 2018, on World Press Freedom Day, many journalists and social activists held a demonstration which protested, among other things, against the "godi media".[13] The term was also widely used at the time of the Citizenship Amendment Act protests, and the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest, with the claim that the protest and the farmers were not being represented fairly.[14][15][16][17]
Detractors of Godi media allege that instead of practising honest journalism, such media publishes fake news and inflammatory stories, which are often untrue, working in the interest of BJP government, corporate and elite sources for their benefit.[5][18] Media houses and news entities alleged as Godi media include Zee News, Times Now, Republic Bharat TV, Republic TV, Aaj Tak, ABP News, Sudarshan News, CNN-News18, India TV, OpIndia, TV Today Network, India Today and others.[19][7][20][21]
Rajdeep Sardesai, an Indian news anchor and author, said that "a large section of the Indian media… has become a lap dog, not a watchdog".[18]
