How Directly Democracy Depends on It
I’m going to make a bold claim: Democracy without journalism is impossible.
Not “difficult.” Not “harder.” Impossible.
Think about it:
How can you vote wisely if you don’t know what politicians actually do? How can you hold government accountable if no one’s watching what they do? How can you make informed decisions if all you have is propaganda and rumors?
Democracy requires informed citizens. Journalism creates informed citizens.
Thought Experiment: Imagine an election where:
- No journalists investigate candidates’ backgrounds
- No one fact-checks campaign promises
- No one reports on policy records
- No one asks tough questions at debates
- No one follows the money
Who would you vote for? How would you decide? What would you base your decision on?
Without journalism, democracy becomes a popularity contest at best, a manipulation game at worst.
Truth Becomes Communal, Not Individual
Here’s a strange truth: You personally will never witness most of the important events that affect your life.
You weren’t there when:
- The budget was drafted
- The new education policy was written
- The defense deal was negotiated
- The environmental clearance was granted
- The police report was filed
You depend on journalists to be your eyes and ears.
When journalism works, society shares a common understanding of basic facts. We might disagree on solutions, but we agree on problems.
When journalism fails, we don’t even agree on reality. We live in different factual universes. Conversation becomes impossible. Solutions become impossible.
Real Example: During COVID-19, countries with strong journalism had better outcomes than countries where journalism was weak or controlled.
Why? Because people trusted verified information over rumor. They followed expert guidance instead of conspiracy theories. They made decisions based on facts instead of fear.
Good journalism didn’t just inform, it reforms, and saved lives.
Justice Needs Witnesses
“If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”
Philosophical question.
“If injustice happens and no one reports it, did it happen?”
Practical answer: To the powerful, no. And that’s the problem.
Unreported injustice doesn’t lead to change.
Think about every major social reform in India:
- Women’s rights advancements
- Dalit empowerment movements
- LGBTQ+ recognition
- Environmental protections
- Labor rights
Every single one required journalism to:
- Document the injustice
- Amplify victims’ voices
- Maintain public pressure
- Prevent collective forgetting
Justice without journalism is justice without evidence, without testimony, without witnesses.
And justice without witnesses rarely arrives.
Knowledge is Power (But Only If It’s Shared)
Information that sits in government files, corporate reports, or expert minds doesn’t help anyone.
Journalism transforms private information into public knowledge.
It takes:
- Scientific research → Understandable health advice
- Economic data → Personal financial decisions
- Legal complexity → Citizen rights awareness
- Technical specifications → Consumer choices
Real Example: Air pollution in Delhi kills thousands every year. Everyone “knows” the air is bad.
But until journalists:
- Published real-time AQI data
- Investigated pollution sources
- Connected pollution to specific health outcomes
- Held government accountable for inaction
- Educated people on protection methods
Nothing changed.
Information existed. Knowledge was created. Action followed knowledge.
That’s journalism’s Power and Potential Possibilities.
