How Culture Shapes Journalism in India: What Students Must Know in 2025

The dynamics of journalism in India are more vibrant in 2025 than ever before as they are even more challenging. The politics of culture in news media is not only an academic lesson to journalism students, but a necessary step to have a fulfilling career in news media. And now, let us take a closer look at why culture, politics, and journalism have become such a relevant issue nowadays and what you, prospective journalists, should remember about.

Culture determines all this, the stories that can be covered, who is heard and even the manner in which things are reported. Journalism in India has always been a subject of the cultural point of view because the country is home to numerous languages and religions. The newsrooms do not remain neutral and only reflect the backgrounds and inclinations of the individuals employed there, as well as the expectations of the listeners and readers.

The necessity of cultural preservation and the role of media diversity has been highlighted recently in events such as Global Media Dialogue (GMD) held at WAVES 2025. The leaders of India and the world professionals are currently discussing the need to reduce bias, to democratise the content, and to promote ethics in journalism. The idea is to establish an inclusive and technologically superior media ecosystem, which cannot however lose the authenticity of culture.

The Indian mass media is becoming extremely pressurized. On the one hand, the press is supposed to challenge authority, as well as giving the voice to the marginalised. The threats are on the rise on the other end of the scale, namely censorship, control by corporate entities, and even aggression towards journalists. Investigative journalists are usually reported or beaten up and even killed, especially those who exploit the status quo by uncovering corruption.

To give one example, in the state of Uttar Pradesh or in other parts of the country such as Jammu and Kashmir the journalists have been subjected to criminal charges or to real abuse by physical defamation or even to cut off the internet sources to keep people quiet. The fact remains that there are forces of politics and culture that can be used to empower as well as limit journalism so it is essential that the students gain insight on what the threats and should be with regard to them. 

Media Consumption: Echo Chamber and Public Spheres

A study  titled, “Threats to Journalists in India: Journalism in the Age of Intolerance and Rising Nationalism” notes that news media usage is extensively determined by party and cultural affiliations. Indians tend to select news sources that reflect their worldviews, forming their own echo chambers where only like minds are affirmed. This selective consumption has the potential to even widen the social and political gaps because individuals rarely experience the thoughts of others beyond their domain.

This is the reason behind the idea of the existence of what have been referred to as public spheres; areas where individuals can openly reason and debate. It is the work of the journalists to unite these gaps, to introduce different voices to the conversation and get rid of their own biases.

The Digital and AI Era: Opportunity and Ethical Challenges

The media industry in India is experiencing a revolution as news generation and distribution methods are undergoing change owing to digital media and artificial intelligence assisted tools. Although such technologies allow accessing new audiences and personalising the content, they are also associated with such challenges as false information, algorithmic bias, and unequal revenue distribution.

AI models are now being trained on news content, sometimes without fair compensation to journalists and media houses. This raises questions about sustainability, ethics, and the future of independent journalism. As students, you must be ready to adapt to these changes, learning both the technical and ethical sides of digital journalism.

What should Indian Journalism students do?

Here are some of the practical advice on how to put up with the politics of culture in journalism:

1. Be culturally knowledgeable: Be aware of how you have your own biases and learn how to know the cultural background of your stories.
2. Be ethical: Never be sensationalist nor rely on rumours, but report in balance always checking the facts.
3. Connect with a variety of people: Address various communities through the digital space and hear their issues.
4. Keep abreast: Keep track of online journalism and artificial intelligence trends and regulation developments.
5. Advocate press freedom: Champion the right of the press to be open, democratic and to be safeguarded.

Due to the politics of culture in journalism, the future of news in India is being shaped. As journalism students, it is not only your role to deliver facts, but to comprehend and orient yourself in the world of culture, politics and technology that are intertwined in myriads of possible complexes. That means making yourself inclusive and embracing diversity, maintaining ethical standards, and being flexible to handle the emerging problems to contribute to the inclusion of the media in India by 2025 and beyond.