Godi media (Hindi pronunciation:[ɡoːdiː];
lit.'media sitting on lap';
idiomatic equivalent: '
lapdog media';)[1][2][3][4] is a
pejorative term coined and popularised by veteran journalist
Ravish Kumar for the sensationalist and biased Indian print and TV
news media, which supports the ruling
NDA government (since 2014).[5][6][7] The term is a pun on the name of Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and has become a common way to refer to television and other media that are perceived as mouthpieces of the leading party of the NDA, the
Bharatiya Janata Party.[6][8]
Background
As per an opinion piece by Debasish Roy Chowdhury for Time magazine, Modi's ascension to national power, in 2014, led to the taming of India's media. His rise coincided with a reorganisation of the editorial authority of some of India's most important news institutions, particularly national television networks. The previous generation of senior editors, who were viewed as more devoted to India's liberal outlook than the BJP's
Hindu nationalist ideology, were moved out, and new channels and news leaders with devotion to the BJP and Modi were developed. Because of their large state and party advertising budgets, India's state and central governments hold considerable control over media companies.[9] In the 2019-20 fiscal year, the central government alone spent roughly ₹1.95 crore (equivalent to ₹2.3 crore or US$290,000 in 2023) on advertisements per day.[10] Access to power and business favours are additional incentives for the media to continue with the pro-BJP messages. This ensures that bad news never affects the government or goes public. With a few exceptions, the government has made sure that the media outlets seek government approval for their reporting.[9]
Coinage
The term was coined and popularised by a veteran journalist
Ravish Kumar, about the sensationalist and biased Indian print and TV news media supporting the NDA government. The term translates to "media sitting on the lap".[6][11] In one of his shows, Kumar used silent actors to mime "godi media". This was accompanied by miming what the currently ruling party leaders wanted to listen to, using the Hindi film song "Bagon Mein Bahar Hai".[12]