Al Jazeera Journalism Review

A bearded man dressed all in blue raises up his fist at a political rally for Indian farmers.

Indian farmers launch activist media outlets as narrative wars continue

When tens of thousands of Indian farmers began their agitation against three controversial laws enacted by the Indian government last year to "reform" the agricultural sector, they had no idea that their protests would soon put them in the crosshairs of powerful Indian media organisations.

 

Initially, their protests in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana escaped notice by the Indian mainstream media.

 

But once the demonstrations spread to other states and famers blocked a major highway just outside India's capital city, New Delhi, farmers started receiving attention from national media. Immediately they were surprised by what they saw as unfair media coverage.    

 

To protest their coverage, they staged demonstrations, holding signs reading, "Don't cover us. You're fake media”and "Godi media [pro-government media, literally “lapdog media”]  is not allowed here.”

 

Farmers have bristled at the media’s treatment of them, as they have been branded as "terrorists," "Maoists," "anti-nationals," Pakistani and Chinese agents, and even "Khalistanis," –– a term for the Sikhs who seek an independent homeland in northern India for members of their religion. Some media organisations have also accused the protesters of being foreign agents.

 

In order to combat what they saw as unfair media treatment and disinformation, farmers organized and started their own media outlets, starting novel, local forms of activist media to advance their cause.

 

Gurdeep Dhaliwal, 27, a farmer and documentarian,  co-founded the Trolley Times, a media outlet which allows farmers to report on the protest in a way that they feel is accurate. So far, the outlet has  more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and has been dubbed India’s “fastest growing newspaper.”

 

Since November 2020, Trolley Times has been publishing stories of the farmers and the challenges they face, both in print and on social media.

 

"We wanted to collect and tell stories of the farmers at protest sites. Our news outlet personalises farmers' stories and narratives for their [sake] first, and then, for the rest of the world," he told Al Jazeera Journalism Review (AJR).

 

"The idea was to create a strong bond and to build trust among the farmers who have come from various parts of India.  We started with just 1,000 copies and now we are going strong with 7,000 copies,"Grudeep said from a protest site outside New Delhi. 

 

Grudeep's team of "reporters and editors" have been reporting from the protest camps since November 2020, and are not sure when they will leave. Grudeep and his team fear reprisal from the state should they leave and slip out of the media spotlight, thus placing his staff in the strange position of relying on their sources for their own personal safety. 

 

"We have received threats in the past. However, the team feels they are only safe if they stay within the protesting site, among the activists and farmers," he said.

Journalism under legal pressure
 

In September 2020, the Indian government introduced the Indian agriculture acts of 2020, also known as the farm bills, calling the laws necessary for "modernisation" of the agriculture sector.

 

Farmers strongly objected to these laws, seeing the reforms as putting their livelihoods at the mercy of large corporations. Attempts at reaching a compromise have failed, and after 11 rounds of talks between the government and farmers, no settlement has been reached.

 

Major protests have followed, some of which have erupted in violence. On January 26, a few thousand protesters split from a rally in New Delhi and stormed the Red Fort, a symbol of Indian Independence. Protesters blamed Hindu nationalists for sabotaging the “peaceful movement,” while Modi redoubled his commitment to the farm bills.

 

"The country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolor (Indian flag) on the 26th of January in Delhi,” Modi said in his first radio address on the farmers' demonstrations.
 

Unsurprisingly, the showdown between the government and protesters has been a major news story, both inside and outside of India. The resulting attention, however, have left journalists who differ from the state’s narrative feeling targeted by the government.

 

Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist for Caravan Magazine—a longform publication in India—describes how he was “treated like a criminal” for doing his job.

 

“The [police] manhandled me and blamed me for creating a ruckus. I was bailed out after four days. I don't think they have issues with studio journalists [referring to pro-government anchors], it's just those who report from the ground," Punia told AJR.

"This is the worst time to be a journalist in India. We get beaten up for reporting and sedition charges are filed for tweets. We are falsely accused and sent to the worst prisons like Tihar [a notorious jail]," he said. 

 

Others, including prominent media names, have been charged with war against the state under sedition laws for their coverage of the aftermath of the Red Fort riot.

 

Specifically, several journalists have been charged with sedition for investigating the death of a protester killed during the riot. The government says that the protester died when his tractor overturned. Media reporting, by contrast, suggests that he died from a police bullet.

 

"In a moving story, things change on a regular basis. Accordingly, the reporting reflects the circumstances, when large crowds are involved and the air is thick with suppositions, suspicions and hypotheses, there can sometimes be a divergence between earlier and later reports," the Press Club of India (PCI) said in its statement.

 

"It is criminal to ascribe this to motivated reporting, as is sought to have been done," PCI said, slamming the intimidation of journalists by authorities.

 

The prosecution of journalists, however, is not a new phenomenon in India. In fact, according to a recent report published by the Free Speech Collective, there has been a sharp rise in “criminal cases lodged against journalists in India for their work in recent years.”

 

"The Indian authorities' response to protests has focused on discrediting peaceful protesters, harassing critics of the government, and prosecuting those reporting on the events," South Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), Meenakshi Ganguly said in a statement following the January 26 protests in New Delhi.

 

Narrative wars

 

The Indian Farmers’ protests largely came into the international public consciousness when pop-superstar Rihanna took notice, tweeting on February 2, 2021 "why aren't we talking about this?!", tagging a CNN news story on the internet blackout during farmers protests. Her large following (102 million) quickly catapulted the story into the west’s spotlight.

 

Gurudeep of Trolley Times said many of the tech-illiterate old farmers did not even know Rihanna until they read about her on Trolley Times.

 

"After the old farmers read about Rihanna's tweet on Trolley Times, they played her songs for three days in a row even if they couldn't understand the language," Gurudeep laughed.

 

Other celebrities followed suit, weighing in on the issue. Teenage climate activists Greta Thunberg and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, Meena Harris, tweeted about the issue, drawing global attention to the Indian farmers' protests.

 

However, the international attention quickly triggered a backlash from Indian politicians and pro-government figures. Bollywood celebrities and famous athletes quickly joined in, firing off a barrage of tweets laced with pro-government hashtags.

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, a well-known government supporter, called the protesting farmers "terrorists" and Rihanna a "fool" in her now deleted tweets.

 

Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar—a popular athlete dubbed the ‘god of Cricket’ in India—portrayed the international media attention as attempts at foreign interference. "India's sovereignty cannot be compromised. External forces can be spectators but not participants. Indians know India and should decide for India. Let's remain united as a nation,” he said.

 

Though the farmers feel disappointed in what they see as a wave of popular condemnation of their cause by celebrities and a section of media, they remain undeterred. In response, many farmers have created their own “media centers” on WhatsApp—a popular social media app owned by Facebook.

 

These media centers convene to create a unified social media messaging strategy, crafting the farmers’ narrative and combating what they see as disinformation on social media.

 

"At the beginning of the protests, we were labelled terrorists, Khalistanis, Naxalites, anti-nationals by 'Godi media'. Many farmers left the protest camps believing what was telecast by the pro-government media," Anoop Singh Chanot, 30, general secretary of Kisan (meaning “farmer”) Social Army, a social media group on Whatsapp, told AJR.

 

While it has a huge user base in India, Whatapp has been dubbed a “black hole” for misinformation and fake news. However farmers are using this platform to their advantage countering the anti-farmers plot.
 

"To clear the air, we convened a meeting of farmers and activists resulting in the instant creation of mass Whatsapp groups in villages and towns starting from North India," Chanot said. In this way, he hoped to use the WhatsApp group model to “counter disinformation and spread awareness.”

 

"We would discuss and show farmers through videos that the protesters at main camps are just farmers like them demanding their rights peacefully. This helped create awareness among those reluctant to join us. Now, we have more than 6oo Whatsapp groups successfully combating the [pro-government media] misinformation," he added.
 

With Indian media fragmented along the government vs farmers divide, and international media treading cautiously on the issue, Indian farmers are organizing and employing novel methods to craft and disseminate their own media narrative.

 

More Articles

Philippine Activists Fight Archive Erasure and Revive Dictatorship-Era Memories

In the Philippines, archivists fight to preserve evidence of the country’s bloodied past, in hope that it will provide lessons for the future.

Tristan James Biglete
Tristan James Biglete Published on: 27 May, 2025
News Fatigue and Avoidance: How Media Overload is Reshaping Audience Engagement

A study conducted on 12,000 American adults revealed that two-thirds feel “exhausted” by the overwhelming volume of news they receive. Why is the public feeling drained by the news? Are audiences actively avoiding it, and at what psychological cost? Most importantly, how can the media rebuild trust and reconnect with its audience?

Othman Kabashi
Othman Kabashi Published on: 25 May, 2025
Journalism Associations' Fragmentation Weakening Press Freedom in Cameroon

Cameroon's fragmented media landscape has weakened collective advocacy, allowing government repression of journalists to go largely unchallenged. As press freedom declines, voices like Samuel Wazizi's are silenced, while disunity among journalists enables impunity to thrive.

Njodzeka Danhatu
Njodzeka Danhatu Published on: 20 May, 2025
Weaponized Artificial Intelligence: The Unseen Threat to Fact-Checking

How has artificial intelligence emerged as a powerful tool during wartime, and what strategies are fact-checkers adopting to confront this disruptive force in newsrooms? The work of fact-checkers has grown significantly more challenging during the genocide in Palestine, as the Israeli occupation has relied heavily on artificial intelligence to disseminate misinformation.

Ahmad Al-Arja
Ahmad Al-Arja Published on: 18 May, 2025
Indian Media Fuels Panic with Disinformation

Amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions in early May, Indian mainstream media flooded the public with fake news, doctored visuals, and sensationalist coverage, fueling mass anxiety and misinformation. Fact-checkers and experts condemned the media’s role, calling it a national embarrassment that undermined journalistic integrity and misled citizens during a critical geopolitical moment.

Junaid Kathju
Junaid Kathju Published on: 15 May, 2025
Reporting from the Ruins; Why We Must Keep Myanmar’s Journalists Alive and Online

In Myanmar, journalism has become a courageous act of resistance. As the military junta tightens its grip on information, journalists face growing technological, political, and security barriers. This article explores the urgent need to support Myanmar’s embattled media workers before the country slides into a full information blackout.

Annie Zaman
Annie Zaman Published on: 13 May, 2025
Palestinian Journalist Lama Ghosheh Refuses to Be Silenced Under Occupation

Despite ongoing repression under Israeli occupation, Palestinian journalist Lama Ghosheh continues her work with unwavering resolve, documenting the lived realities of her people. Her story is one of resistance, family, and the high cost of speaking truth in the face of systemic silencing.

Synne Furnes Bjerkestrand
Synne Bjerkestrand Published on: 9 May, 2025
Fact-Checking: The Last Line of Defense Against Occupation Propaganda in Palestine

Manipulation of information, intensive propaganda campaigns, and widespread disinformation were key features of the "narrative" battle that accompanied the war on Gaza. From the very beginning, the occupation sought to provide media cover for potential war crimes, but the work of fact-checkers exposed the foundations of its propaganda.

Khaled Attia
Khaled Attia Published on: 7 May, 2025
The Media Landscape in Sudan During the War

The ongoing war in Sudan has dismantled many media institutions, creating a vacuum filled by a vast stream of rumors and false information that has fueled internal conflict. A large segment of the public has turned to social media platforms in search of the truth, while some traditional media outlets continue to operate despite the targeting of their offices and journalists.

Mohammed Babiker Al-Awad
Mohammed Babiker Al-Awad Published on: 2 May, 2025
Western Media’s Double Standards on Muslim Women’s Suffering

When an Iranian student publicly protested against security forces by undressing, the moment garnered widespread attention in Western media. Meanwhile, even as 70 percent of those killed in Palestine are women and children, this ongoing violence—including the systematic killing, torture, and detention of Palestinian women—receives minimal coverage. This disparity raises urgent questions: How do Western media represent women’s issues in the Islamic world, and to what extent are such portrayals shaped by double standards?

Shaimaa Al-Eisai
Shaimaa Al-Eisai Published on: 24 Apr, 2025
Weaponizing the Law: SLAPPs Against Journalists and Press Freedom

SLAPPs—abusive lawsuits designed to silence journalists and activists—are surging across Southeast Asia, exploiting vague laws and weak protections to punish those who speak truth to power. As legal harassment intensifies, journalists face not only imprisonment and censorship but also emotional trauma, exile, and long-term damage to their careers.

AJR Contributor Published on: 17 Apr, 2025
Predicting the Future of Media in 2025

The rise of citizen journalism, the rethinking of long-form content, the evolution of video, and the exploration of AI opportunities are key elements of the media landscape forecast for 2025, according to a report from Harvard University's Nieman Lab.

Othman Kabashi
Othman Kabashi Published on: 15 Apr, 2025
Monitoring of Journalistic Malpractices in Gaza Coverage

On this page, the editorial team of the Al Jazeera Journalism Review will collect news published by media institutions about the current war on Gaza that involves disinformation, bias, or professional journalistic standards and its code of ethics.

A picture of the Al Jazeera Media Institute's logo, on a white background.
Al Jazeera Journalism Review Published on: 14 Apr, 2025
In The Cross Fire: The Perils of Rural Journalism in India's Conflict Zones

In India’s conflict-ridden regions like Bastar and Manipur, local journalists—especially freelancers and women—risk their lives daily to report on corruption, displacement, and state violence, often without institutional support or protection. Their work, largely invisible to national media, exposes a stark reality where telling the truth can cost them everything, even their lives.

Quratulain Rehbar
Quratulain Rehbar Published on: 10 Apr, 2025
How Media Drives Collective Adaptation During Natural Disasters in Oman

This paper highlights how Omani media, during times of natural disasters, focused on praising government efforts to improve its image, while neglecting the voices of victims and those affected by the cyclones. It also examines the media’s role in warning against and preventing future disasters.

Shaimaa Al-Eisai
Shaimaa Al-Eisai Published on: 31 Mar, 2025
Is India Targeting Independent Media Through Tax Status Revocation?

In a move that’s sent shockwaves through India’s independent media landscape, tax authorities have revoked The Reporters’ Collective's non—profit status, claiming journalism doesn’t serve a “public purpose.” Critics warn this unprecedented action, echoed in similar crackdowns on other outlets, is part of a broader campaign to throttle investigative journalism and stifle dissent financially.

Bilal Kuchay
Bilal Kuchay Published on: 27 Mar, 2025
Western Media Bias and Complicity with Israel is Beyond Borders

Once again, Western media framed civilians within the context of "collateral damage" while covering Israeli attacks on Syria. The language of international law was absent, and the tragedy of civilians affected by military strikes was completely obscured, while justifications and cover for the occupation prevailed under the banner of "maintaining national security."

Zainab Afifa
Zainab Afifa Published on: 23 Mar, 2025
Rise and Fall of Kashmir’s First Independent Magazine, Kashmir Walla

Jailed, silenced, and erased—how a fearless journalist built Kashmir’s most vital independent news platform, only to see it brutally shut down by the state. The Kashmir Walla, known for its bold coverage of politics, conflict, and human rights, became too powerful to ignore—so they ensured it disappeared.

Safina
Safina Nabi Published on: 15 Mar, 2025
Misinformation in Syria: Natural Chaos or Organised Campaign?

Old videos inciting “sectarian strife,” statements taken out of context attacking Christians, scenes of heavy weaponry clashes in other countries, fabricated stories of fictitious detainees, and a huge amount of fake news that accompanied the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime: Is it the natural chaos of transition or a systematic campaign?

Farhat Khedr
Farhat Khedr Published on: 11 Mar, 2025
The Sharp Contrast: How Israeli and Western Media Cover the War on Gaza

Despite being directly governed by Israeli policies, some Israeli media outlets critically report on their government’s actions and use accurate terminology, whereas Western media has shown complete bias, failing to be impartial in its coverage of Israel’s aggression in Gaza.

Faras Ghani Published on: 5 Mar, 2025
Journalists in DR Congo Face New Threats, Censorship in a Decades-long Conflict

Countless journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, kidnapped or have disappeared in the fog of the protracted war tearing the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo apart. The renewed M23 offensive augurs a more uncertain future for these ‘soldiers of the pen’.

Nalova Akua
Nalova Akua Published on: 3 Mar, 2025
International Media Seek Gaza Access; What Do Palestinian Journalists Say?

As international media push for access to Gaza, Palestinian journalists—who have been the primary voices on the ground—criticize their Western counterparts for failing to acknowledge their contributions, amplify their reports, or support them as they risk their lives to document the war. They face systemic bias and exploitation, and continue to work under extreme conditions without proper recognition or support.

NILOFAR ABSAR
Nilofar Absar Published on: 26 Feb, 2025
Journalism and Artificial Intelligence: Who Controls the Narrative?

How did the conversation about using artificial intelligence in journalism become merely a "trend"? And can we say that much of the media discourse on AI’s potential remains broad and speculative rather than a tangible reality in newsrooms?

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 23 Feb, 2025
The Whispers of Resistance in Assad’s Reign

For more than a decade of the Syrian revolution, the former regime has employed various forms of intimidation against journalists—killing, interrogations, and forced displacement—all for a single purpose: silencing their voices. Mawadda Bahah hid behind pseudonyms and shifted her focus to environmental issues after a "brief session" at the Kafar Soussa branch of Syria’s intelligence agency.

Mawadah Bahah
Mawadah Bahah Published on: 18 Feb, 2025