ABSTRACT
The assassination of Gauri Lankesh in 2017 is the most visible example of a widespread assault on journalists and the media in India. The embrace of a globalized market economy, with the concentration of immense power in the hands of media owners, and the rise of the Hindu right led by Narendra Modi, has resulted in an all-out assault on the very idea of a free, independent press. This is particularly true of journalists and thinkers who are leftists and those who are critical of Hindu majoritarianism, Indian nationalism and crony capitalism, with women in particular singled out for orchestrated campaigns of hate. Together, this has made India one of the most unsafe countries in the world to work in as a journalist.
