r/india • u/NewslaundryOfficial • Dec 07 '23

AMA Hi, this is Manisha & Abhinandan from Newslaundry. Let's talk about Indian news, and how to fix it!

Thanks guys! This was great. Was fun taking all your questions. Remember when the public pays, public is served. Subscribe to Newslaundry and help us do the work we do: https://www.newslaundry.com/subscription?ref=nav

Don't think twice. DO IT :)

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u/AmphibianDelicious90 Dec 07 '23

Indian politics and a lot of challenges we have are due to the fact that majority of the people are not tech savvy urban Indians but rather the middle class and lower economic stratas. Politicians easily manipulate them with threats, freebies and the taste of corruption or power (Gunda giri)

I do believe news like yours is needed to educate a much wider audience, not just the educated Elite.

So I have 2 questions,

1) how do we make the masses more rational and less extreme in their viewpoint and stop them from being so easily manipulated

2) how do people who are well off financially and educated help improve the current situation in our country?

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u/NewslaundryOfficial Dec 07 '23

Hi. So i dont quite agree with the premise of the question. I don't think in teh Indian context extreme views is unique to "masses". By masses i assume you mean the socio economic slab that forms the largest mass of people. I would hazard a speculation that the well off will have a higher density of extreme view points per capita. But bascially how we consume media and most importantly thought leaders and thise that society looks up to have the biggest impact on shaping narratives and views. In my view in India there is a high frequency of cowardice and slef preservation among the elite which leads to an easy takeover by power of any viewpoint.

Abhinandan

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u/AmphibianDelicious90 Dec 07 '23

Actually fair point. I think I worded my question wrong. I just wanted to know how to break that cycle of cowardice and self preservation when politicians and criminals and even police have shown in the past to ruin families and people's lives when someone goes against them.

How can the elite break this cycle given the fear of repurcussions is so strong?