The global media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged the Indian government to reverse its recent decisions revoking the nonprofit status of The Reporters’ Collective (TRC) and the tax exemptions of Kannada news outlet The File, warning that such actions could severely undermine independent journalism in the country.
In a statement on January 28, TRC said the loss of its nonprofit status “severely impairs” its ability to function and “worsens the conditions” for independent media in India. The revocation subjects the organization to commercial taxation, potentially discouraging funding and hampering investigative journalism.
“Journalism is a public service. The Indian government should not abuse regulatory processes to target investigative journalism,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “The government must immediately reverse these orders against The Reporters’ Collective and The File, which could set a dangerous precedent for other nonprofit media in India and severely undermine public interest journalism.”
TRC has built a reputation for its investigative reporting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, including stories on corruption, government accountability, and allegations of corporate cronyism. The collective has also reported on business practices involving the Adani Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates.
The action against TRC follows a similar move in December 2024 against The File, a Bengaluru-based digital news outlet known for investigating political parties in Karnataka. Authorities revoked its tax exemptions, classifying its activities as commercially driven despite its public interest reporting.
These regulatory measures come amid growing concerns about financial and legal pressures on independent media in India. In February 2023, income tax authorities conducted searches at the New Delhi and Mumbai offices of the BBC, weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary critical of Prime Minister Modi.
CPJ said it had sought responses from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the exemption commissioner in Delhi, and tax authorities in Bengaluru regarding the cases of TRC and The File but had not received any replies.
The Indian government has not issued an official statement on the matter.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
