Sri Balaji University Pune (SBUP) on Saturday released the Indian Media Barometer 2025, becoming the first educational institution in the country to undertake a comprehensive health assessment of India’s print, television and social media landscape. The event brought together senior journalists, social activists, armed forces veterans, academics and students for a detailed, data-backed review of the state of Indian media.
Chief Guest Mahesh Zagade, Former Principal Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, described the Barometer as a crucial diagnostic tool to assess the media’s current condition. Warning that journalism’s democratic role has eroded, he said media—once a watchdog—was increasingly functioning as a commercial product. He cautioned that both traditional and digital platforms were drifting toward “manufactured content”, misleading audiences and weakening democratic discourse.
“There is an urgent need to reorient the media if it is to regain its role as the fourth pillar of democracy,” he said, adding that this pillar has been severely weakened.
Vinita Deshmukh, Editor of Corporate Citizen magazine, which co-hosted the event with SBUP’s School of Liberal Arts, said journalism had historically been rooted in public service, but over the past 15 years, commercial interests had overshadowed the reader. While digital and social platforms have democratised information, they have also blurred the lines between fact, opinion and sensationalism, she noted. Deshmukh said the Media Barometer 2025 Conclave—attended by more than 20 senior journalists and communication professionals—was designed to examine these issues in depth.
Dr Preeti Joshi, Principal of SBUP’s School of Liberal Arts and School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said the report would aid both academia and industry.
“This report shows how today’s media is performing. It will not just inform us, it will help us introspect about where we are headed,” she said.
Veteran journalist and editor Anand Agashe, who presented the report, highlighted that shrinking editorial space had become a critical concern. He said the study evaluated media outlets on 57 parameters, using an anonymous rating system to ensure neutrality.
“A thorough health scan of present-day media is necessary to understand where the shoe pinches,” he noted, adding that similar studies across different regions of India would offer a more holistic picture and strengthen media literacy among citizens.
SBUP Vice Chancellor Dr G. K. Shirude underscored the importance of analysing news with both content and context. He said media often operates under various pressures, and the Barometer offers a structured appraisal of India’s media ecosystem.
He added that the study identifies institutional strengths, ethical gaps and commercial pressures that shape news production, offering valuable insights for students, researchers and media professionals.
Following the launch of the report, a panel discussion on “Journalism in the Age of Media Explosion” explored the challenges of shrinking newsroom capacity, rising digital content volumes and changing audience expectations. Panelists included Dr Sameeran Walvekar, senior journalist and filmmaker; Siddharthya Roy, investigative journalist and author; Radhesham Jadhav, Senior Deputy Editor at The Hindu Group; and Triveni Goswami Mathur, media educator, who moderated the discussion.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks and an informal interaction over high tea. Participants described the Media Barometer initiative as a timely effort to examine the future of journalism and the role media must play in a functioning democracy.
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