Zennie Tungi
Mahatma Gandhi began his journalistic career in the late 19th century, writing for various newspapers in Britain and South Africa. His early exposure to journalism in London and his involvement with the Indian community there laid the foundation for his future work.
Gandhi’s approach to journalism often referred to as “Gandhian Journalism”, was based on service to the public rather than profit. His weeklies, such as Indian Opinion, Young India, and Harijan, published no advertisements and were powerful platforms for his views on social issues. Gandhi believed that newspapers should reflect popular sentiment, inspire positive change, and fearlessly expose societal flaws. To him it was not a vocation to earn his livelihood; it was a means to serve the public. In the ‘Young India’ of 2 July 1925, he wrote: “I have taken up journalism not for its sake but merely as an aid to what I have conceived to be my mission in life. My mission is to teach by example and present under severe restraint the use of the matchless weapon of satyagraha which is a direct corollary of nonviolence.” For Gandhi, editorial independence and self-restraint were essential to maintaining integrity in journalism.
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