The Lapdog Cage Seduction

When journalists resist authoritarianism, they are punished. A glaring example of this is the police filing an FIR against a brave journalist like Ajit Anjum, with high professional credibility, who exposed the Election Commission’s allegedly dubious activities during the Bihar elections.

By Ramsharan Joshi

Edmonton, Canada

Behind me, you can see a small, elegant house. It is a modest, almost cottage-like dwelling. This used to be the residence of the world-renowned media philosopher, Marshall McLuhan.

This house, located in the Highlands neighborhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was where McLuhan spent his childhood and adolescence. It was here that he began his journey of studying language and communication media. His famous book is ‘Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man’ (1964).

It was a wonderful coincidence that I became acquainted with this house. Just a few steps away is the house of my youngest daughter, Trina. On a peaceful walk through this quiet neighborhood, Trina showed me McLuhan's residence.

This house, under the care of Arts Habitat Edmonton, becomes a lively space during special occasions, hosting events for young writers, teachers and journalists, poetry festivals, and workshops. In short, McLuhan's innovative vision of media continues to thrive here.

McLuhan's vision is now more relevant than ever. For media teachers and students, and journalists and editors, especially, it is essential to develop a friendship with McLuhan's writings to better understand the logical context of both the content and form of media.

Although the media philosopher, born in Edmonton in 1911, passed away in 1980 in Toronto, his vision is now more relevant than ever. For media teachers and students, and journalists and editors, especially, it is essential to develop a friendship with McLuhan's writings to better understand the logical context of both the content and form of media, and its academic linkages to social sciences and the culture industry.

My introduction to Marshall McLuhan dates back several decades. After reading ‘Understanding Media', I developed a deeper understanding of the various branches of communication. I shared his message with students in different communication institutes across India.

Today, in India and various ‘democratic’ countries, ‘media freedom’ is in a nearly terminal state.

Today, in India and various ‘democratic’ countries, ‘media freedom’ is in a nearly terminal state. As the thirst for power and unchecked authoritarian governance grows among elected leaders, media freedom is increasingly being marginalized. Journalists with a critical consciousness and professional integrity, find themselves in the crosshairs of the State and administrative terror. Media monopolies with deep pockets have emerged, with strong ties with the ruling regime. Vested interests continue to shape important news of the day.

A recent example of this is India's media landscape—take a look at the media empires of corporate tycoons. Similarly, newspaper magnates have now become owners of television channels.

Across the nation, ‘cross-ownership’ in the media is spreading like an invasive weed. Under the silent court of the current Right-wing regime in Delhi, most media monopolies stand powerful with transparent aggression, often selling fake news brazenly.

In fact, decades ago, McLuhan had already warned in his book that a certain kind of explosion of media corporatizations would occur in the future. Political rulers and big business would seize control of the media. Media freedom would be curtailed, and through media, the minds of consumers, citizens, or voters, would be manipulated. Noam Chomsky has written about a similar phenomena in his famous book ‘Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media’, co-authored with Edvard S Harman (1988).

Today, in both developed and developing countries, the business of manipulating the public mind is progressing at a rapid pace. Through the alliance of ‘power + corporate capital + religion + bureaucracy’, communication mediums are quickly being colonized.

Today, in both developed and developing countries, the business of manipulating the public mind is progressing at a rapid pace. Through the alliance of ‘power + corporate capital + religion + bureaucracy’, communication mediums are quickly being colonized. In totalitarian regimes, such as China or Russia, of course, there is no freedom, including media freedom. A dissenting note or voice can make one land up in prison for a long time.

Clearly, with the ‘colonization of media’ comes the rapid decline of democracy and the destruction of the Constitution. McLuhan had warned of this.

In India, as early as in 1925, Baburao Vishnu Paradhkar had warned about the subjugation of the Press, through his writings. He had written that newspapers and magazines would be printed on glossy paper one day, filled with advertisements, while the soul of freedom of expression would remain dormant and suppressed.

While the concept of the global village is indeed attractive, its enormous benefits are accruing primarily to the world’s powerful classes in the affluent societies of the capitalist West.

Today, due to technological and informational revolutions, we have become part of the ‘global village’. Events from any corner of the world can reach every continent in an instant. While the concept of the global village is indeed attractive, its enormous benefits are accruing primarily to the world’s powerful classes in the affluent societies of the capitalist West. Through the communication process, corporate houses are conveniently marketing their products worldwide, while also expanding the ideology of a one-dimensional free-market economy, via multi-dimensional alliances, driven solely by the doctrine of the maximization of profit.

Look at the role of top MNCs as a lucrative profit partner of a murderous regime in the Genocide in Gaza!

TV channels, social media, and other ‘digital jinns’ promote Far-Right ideologies, blind nationalism, apartheid and racism, religious extremism, personality cults, and Neo-Nazism at a rapid pace. Media often turns local issues, such as the temple vs mosque debate in India, into a national and global issue. In essence, the media’s influence on the public mind has led to the dominance of ‘falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood’ – as was depicted in George Orwell’s ‘1984’. Repressive regimes try to control minds with this doctrine.

In other words, the ruling classes have spun the web of a ‘post-truth media’, and ‘post-truth politics’, in what is called a ‘post-normal’ world. This entire phenomenon is deceptive with dangerous overtones.

It is no coincidence that during Operation Sindoor, this lapdog media in India created a false narrative about the Indian army capturing Islamabad and Lahore, while Karachi Port was said to be destroyed, while the Pakistani army chief was apparently captured. All fake news, and done so openly, and without an iota of professional objectivity, or media ethics.

A certain section of the western media played a dubious role in the dissemination of news from Gaza, where no international journalists are allowed.

Similarly, in Gaza, where more than 60,000 people have been murdered, including 20,000 children, the mass starvation, enforced by Israel, and daily killings of unarmed people in bombings, or while seeking aid and food, continues unabated. A certain section of the western media played a dubious role in the dissemination of news from Gaza, where no international journalists are allowed.

More than 220 journalists, mostly locals working for global media outfits, have been killed, or assassinated. However, some brave journalists, women and men, continue to report from the ground, against all odds.

Today, the media consumer is no longer frightened by bombings on small screens or mobile devices — it has become a routine form of vicarious entertainment. The sky battles of rockets and missiles evoke feelings like: “Hit it! Kill them! Wipe them out.”

It’s grotesque.

This is a nasty a testament of the crass inhumanity which dominates the brutal power establishments of Tel Aviv and Washington, and its allies such as Britain and Germany, among others.

They depict war as an exciting and necessary event, transforming hatred and bloodshed into a seductive fascination. Certain sections thereby become insatiable consumers of this bloody murder-machine, keeping track of the death count, and the bombs hitting their targets.

It's clear that such wars provide huge profits for the warmongers and weapons industry. The media plays a vital, often invisible, role in this. They depict war as an exciting and necessary event, transforming hatred and bloodshed into a seductive fascination. Certain sections thereby become insatiable consumers of this bloody murder-machine, keeping track of the death count, and the bombs hitting their targets. It’s like a bloody video game for them.

Through remote control (media), the masterminds of multi-dimensional alliances continue to shape public consciousness. The selection of the media for conveying a specific message—whether through social media, TV channels, newspapers, documentaries, films, or prime time discussions—seems to be decided by the powerful lobbies run by corporates, Right-wing groups, the arms industry, etc, like the pro-Israel AIPAC, with its deep pockets.

For messages of war's necessity, mega-media outlets are chosen, not small-town newspapers or amateur publications. WhatsApp universities have proven highly influential, with the business of ‘fake news’ flourishing rapidly.

In such an environment, there is a need for critical awareness to understand the character of the media. Many mass communication institutes have been established in Hindi-speaking states. They are often run by those loyal to the ruling regime. While the lapdog media continues to expand.

When journalists resist authoritarianism, they are punished. A glaring example of this is the police filing an FIR against a committed and brave journalist like Ajit Anjum, who exposed the Election Commission’s allegedly dubious activities during the Bihar elections.

Ajit Anjum was merely doing his job: a true journalist’s basic duty and responsibility is to expose the ground realities of the country to the public. This is McLuhan's media philosophy.

Ajit Anjum was merely doing his job: a true journalist’s basic duty and responsibility is to expose the ground realities of the country to the public. This is McLuhan's media philosophy.

It is hoped that, armed with this critical awareness, journalists will bring media freedom out of its lapdog cage. The echo of this message can be heard from the philosopher's beloved residence. If the Medium is truly the Message, then, it’s time that journalism in the world, and India, should mark a radical paradigm shift.

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Ramsharan Joshi is a veteran author, academician and journalist based in Delhi.

Images Copyright: Ramsharan Joshi, 2025. All Rights Reserved.