The media industry is changing around the world. Many are forced to close due to a failing business model – some under government pressure – and some are acquired by moguls who intend to masquerade propaganda as journalism.

While we prepare to mark the 30th World Press Freedom Day on May 3, we are faced with pressing questions. Has the free press been silenced in India, or has it held its ground? How healthy is the Indian media ecosystem? What are the pressures on news outfits? 

As an organisation rooted in the independent news media space, this day is crucial for us, to recognise our efforts, the support of actively paying subscribers, and the rigorous reportage by our reporters. Newslaundry started 11 years ago with an aim to keep news free from the shackles of corporate moguls and government ads. And over the years, much has changed. However, even as India slips on press freedom and other democratic indicators, we have continued to grow with your support for public interest journalism. 

To celebrate this spirit of independent media, Newslaundry will dedicate a whole week to press freedom, with a series of pieces from reporters and columnists on issues that affect the media and civil society in India.

We have also launched a new NL Sena project – Press Freedom Fund – to look at critical challenges linked to the country’s media landscape, through a series of deep-dive reports, commentaries and videos. Help us unravel questions about the free press in India by contributing to this project. 

We plan to top up the fund by May 31. Let’s do this.

Click here to contribute to the Press Freedom Fund.