A brief, viral exchange in Oslo between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a Norwegian journalist has exposed the widening gap between India's tightly controlled media environment and traditional adversarial press culture. Over the past decade, open, unscripted scrutiny has increasingly been replaced by carefully managed public relations, image-driven interviews, and direct digital reach. This systemic shift has reshaped the broader landscape of Indian news media, creating a culture of forced deference that prioritises political showmanship over holding power accountable.

Vague reporting and a piece ‘laden with innuendo’ by the New York Times gave Indian authorities the excuse they needed to crack down on news website NewsClick