What did the Gen Z protests at Jantar Mantar reveal about the state of Indian media?
In this perceptive lecture, Seema Chishti, Editor of The Wire, examines the growing challenge to “Godi Media” and the emergence of alternative media voices during the protests.
She argues that the protests have compelled legacy media to make greater space for the voices of young people and those challenging the establishment. But this accommodation, she cautions, remains largely cosmetic.
Chishti warns against expecting any fundamental transformation in “Godi Media”. Yet she sees reason for hope in the new media ecosystem, where more proactive, independent and people-oriented forms of journalism are finding space and audiences.
Seema Chishti delivered the 25th Narendran Memorial Lecture at the Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on August 7, 2026.
