New Delhi: The viral social media back-and-forth between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has catapulted the topic of media interaction and press freedom in India into the public discourse.
The incident occurred while PM Modi was on a visit to Norway under the banner of his official visit to several countries as part of his visit. Journalists were also given access to the event, with no intention of a Q&A session following, at a joint media briefing with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo.
Just as the leaders were departing the stage, Helle Lyng called to PM Modi and asked him why he does not have the world’s freest press ask him questions. Within a couple of hours, the videos had gone viral and were shared on social media platforms online as well as being discussed politically.
The journalist subsequently gave his explanation on social media media, saying that reporters ask tough questions. She also cited world press freedom reports, in which Norway is among the top countries for press freedom. Her remark got reception on social media, receiving positive responses from some, negative from others, and some sharing her reaction of anger and frustration.
The External Affairs Ministry of India (MEA) wrote back on the matter as well. Senior diplomat Sibi George in a press interaction defended India’s democratic system and media environment in Oslo. He added that a number of foreign institutions and NGOs were not aware of the size and complexity of India. The MEA emphasized India’s status as a proud democratic nation, where the media is vibrant.
The petitions to the PM heated up even more when the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi got it on the internet and criticized the PM for not answering questions from the reporters. His post injected politics into the discussion and brought the incident to the fore.
Following the incident it was also reported that Helle Lyng’s Facebook and Instagram accounts had been suspended. This brought about a further discussion on the freedom of speech and online harassment of journalists.
It now has become a worldwide debate on press freedom, political communication and the relationship between governments and the media. The criticism seems to have been dismissed as “politically motivated” and as “unfair” by those who back the government, but others think that public leaders should respond to direct inquiries from the press more frequently.
As more and more people have contracted the strain of the Covid-19 virus in Norway, it has again become a global topic of conversation that a few hours of an international event can easily become a national plague.
