Why Maharashtra’s media monitoring plan has sparked censorship fears

The Maharashtra government has announced the establishment of a state-run Media Monitoring Centre, raising concerns among journalists and media watchdogs. The centre will track and analyse news coverage across print, electronic, social and digital media in real-time.The government claims the initiative is necessary to counter misinformation and ensure a fact-based public discourse. However, critics argue that the classification of news as “pro” or “against” the government could lead to increased scrutiny, suppression of criticism, and censorship.The announcement comes amid concerns over India’s press freedom ranking, which, according to the 2024 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, stands at 159th out of 180 nations, a slight improvement from 161 in 2023.Against this backdrop, Maharashtra’s media monitoring initiative has drawn comparisons to past attempts at media regulation, particularly the Fact-Checking Unit (FCU) proposed by the Union government in 2023, which was struck down by the Bombay High Court last year as unconstitutional.The state government, already under criticism for its mounting debt, is also facing questions about the timing and intent of such an extensive media monitoring initiative. Critics argue that while past governments have monitored media trends, Maharashtra’s approach sets a concerning precedent. The Mumbai Press Club has strongly opposed the plan, calling it a “regime of surveillance” that could intimidate journalists and stifle independent reporting. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}))}(); What is Maharashtra government’s plan for a media monitoring centre?Through a Government Resolution (GR) issued on March 5, the Maharashtra government formally announced the establishment of the Media Monitoring Centre under the Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) with an allocated budget of ₹10 crore.In its initial phase, the centre will monitor print, electronic, social and digital media, with plans to expand into new platforms in the future. A key aspect of its operation is classifying news reports as either “positive” or “negative,” particularly concerning government policies. Negative coverage will be addressed promptly, with clarifications issued when necessary.The government will engage a professional consultancy agency responsible for news collection, analysis, and reporting. Operating daily from 8 am to 10 pm, the centre will scan newspapers, television broadcasts, and social media platforms, generating department-wise, regional, and thematic reports. Trends, hashtags, and key news items will be tracked hourly, with alerts issued accordingly.A major component of the initiative is AI-driven monitoring, intended to combat fake news and misinformation while also assessing public perception of government policies. Reports will be compiled into daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly trend analyses, all integrated into a centralised system.The service provider will be selected through an e-tendering process, with an initial one-year contract, subject to performance-based extensions. The DIPR will oversee the project’s execution to ensure the centre’s effectiveness in media tracking and response management.How has the CM pitched the media monitoring move?Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has defended the move, stating: “We have no intention to control the media but want to take note of what is printed and broadcast so as to respond or clarify expeditiously if there is any misleading or negative news.” He insists that the government’s goal is to counter misinformation and not interfere with journalistic freedom.Have there been other such attempts to ‘monitor’ the media in the past?Maharashtra’s Media Monitoring Centre is not the first such initiative in India. Over the years, multiple state and central government efforts to track and influence media narratives have been met with legal and public pushback:● 2018 – Social Media Communication Hub: Central government proposed monitoring citizens' social media activity. The Supreme Court intervened, warning it could lead to a “surveillance state”, forcing the plan to be withdrawn.● 2023 – Fact-Checking Unit (FCU): Union government attempted to establish a Fact-Checking Unit (FCU) to flag “fake” or “false” content regarding the government on social media. The Bombay high court struck it down, ruling it infringed on press freedom.● 2008 – Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC): EMMC monitors TV content for violation of broadcasting regulations but does not classify news as positive or negative.● Election Commission Media Monitoring Cells: These temporary units track political news during elections but do not engage in continuous media surveillance. Why are journalists upset with the move?Journalists and media experts have strongly opposed the Maharashtra government’s plan, warning that it could threaten press freedom and serve as a tool for censorship rather than a legitimate effort to curb misinformation.Senior journalist and author Kalpana Sharma questioned the necessity of a new media monitoring body when the DIPR already exists for the same purpose. She raised concerns about the government’s classification of news as “positive” or “negative”, arguing that it echoes past efforts to control the press.Drawing a parallel with the Emergency era (1975–77), she pointed out that during that period, the Press Information Bureau similarly categorised media reports to shape public perception. Sharma likened Maharashtra’s move to the Union government’s 2023 Fact-Checking Unit (FCU), which the Bombay high court struck down as unconstitutional, and suggested this initiative could meet a similar fate.Echoing these concerns, Medha Kulkarni, trustee of the media advocacy organisation Sampark, criticised the positive-negative classification of news, arguing that it discourages constructive criticism, which is essential for a healthy democracy. She emphasised that the role of the press, NGOs, and academia is to seek change and improvement, not merely echo government narratives. Drawing from her experiences during the Emergency, she recalled how restrictions on the press only led to alternative ways of disseminating information, such as underground pamphlet distribution. “If the government tries to suppress media freedom, people will find innovative ways to communicate,” she warned.Renowned media critic and columnist Sevanti Ninan acknowledged that media monitoring by the government is not a new concept, pointing out that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has provided government officials with daily press clippings and analysis for decades. However, she argued that Maharashtra’s initiative goes beyond observation, raising concerns about the government’s hypersensitivity to criticism. She also questioned the effectiveness of the ₹10 crore initiative, stating that the sheer volume of content produced today would make monitoring futile. “If governance is poor, people will experience it firsthand—media monitoring won’t change public perception,” she added.Pratik Sinha, co-founder of Alt News, a fact-checking platform, challenged the government’s reasoning, stating that merely monitoring misinformation won’t stop its spread. He stressed that countering fake news requires deeper solutions such as public education and platform accountability rather than government oversight of the media. More importantly, he argued that the real issue is not media monitoring itself, but the government’s flawed perception of news. "News cannot be reduced to a binary of good or bad—it is a reflection of reality. The government’s attempt to control the narrative signals a deeper problem,” he remarked.How the Mumbai Press Club has responded:The Mumbai Press Club has strongly opposed the plan, stating: “In the guise of controlling misinformation, this move imposes a regime of surveillance.” The organisation warned that vague definitions could allow any criticism of the government to be labelled as misinformation. It also flagged concerns that news classification could be used to target critical journalists and pressure media outlets into self-censorship. The Press Club recalled the Bombay high court’s ruling against the Fact-Checking Unit, suggesting that Maharashtra’s plan could face similar legal challenges."Rather than assuming unchecked authority over what constitutes truth, the government should have the courage to face reality—even when it is inconvenient." Mumbai Press Club Slams Maharashtra Govt’s Media Monitoring Move

Mumbai Press Club expresses grave concern at the Government of Maharashtra‘s decision to set up a media monitoring centre to track news reportage in print, television, digital and social media. In the guise of…

— Mumbai Press Club (@mumbaipressclub) March 8, 2025 What this means for press freedomMaharashtra’s move has reignited concerns about press freedom and government oversight. While the government claims its objective is to counter misinformation, journalists argue that categorising news as positive or negative could pressure media into self-censorship. Given the Bombay high court’s prior rejection of a similar initiative, legal challenges to the Media Monitoring Centre appear inevitable.