George Watson Public Lecture

Join the School of Communication and Arts for a critical examination of India's press freedom, rated 161 out of 180 by Reporters Without Borders, and its impact on the world's largest democracy. Explore the challenges of a constrained media space and its implications for sustaining a healthy civil society and fostering a deliberative democracy.

Media and Democracy in India

Presented by Professor Vinod Pavarala

In 2023, Reporters without Borders, a global media watchdog that measures press freedom worldwide, rated India at 161 among 180 countries, a slide downwards from its 150th position in the previous year.  In this talk, I will explore questions such as: What does this negative assessment mean for a country that’s the largest democracy in the world and, as is being claimed recently, the ‘mother of democracy’?

As the situation with media freedom is said to be going from ‘problematic’ to ‘very bad’ in several countries of the Global South, where deep inequalities still define their populations, what does it mean for substantive democracy, rather than merely electoral democracy? During the lecture, I will attempt a critical examination of these questions, using such indices as ownership of media entities, their proximity to political parties, and the autonomy of other democratic institutions that are expected to ensure the independent and free functioning of the media. 

Finally, I will discuss the the challenges posed by a severely constrained media space for sustaining a healthy civil society and fostering a deliberative democracy (one that is ‘talk-centric’ rather than ‘vote-centric’). 

About the Presenter 

Vinod Pavarala is Senior Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, India where he has been teaching for nearly three decades. He has held the UNESCO Chair on Community Media since its establishment at the University in 2011. Prof. Pavarala's teaching and research are in the areas of communication for social change, community media, and media and democracy. He has been actively involved in research, policy advocacy, and capacity building in the field of community media, not only in India and elsewhere in South Asia, but also in East and West Africa and parts of Europe. His Ph.D. was from University of Pittsburgh, USA and he has held visiting positions at Princeton University, Loughborough University London, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and Ashoka University.

At the University of Hyderabad, he has held several administrative positions, including as the Head of the Department of Communication, the Dean of the SN School of Arts & Communication, and Director, Office of International Affairs. 

Event Details

Event Date: Wednesday 7 August 2024

Event Time: 5.45pm for a 6pm start, drinks and canapés 7–8pm

Event Location: The Avalon Theatre ,172 Sir Fred Schonell Drive, St Lucia (access via Macquarie Street).

Getting There: The Avalon is a 15-20 minute walk from UQ's St Lucia Campus, or accessible via public transport. You can use the Translink website to find details on public transport options. If you catch the ferry, the Guyatt Park terminal is directly opposite the theatre. Please note there is no on-site parking available, and only very limited street parking. 

RSVP: Monday 5 August 2024