Recently, the assistant editor of the UK-based newspaper, Daily Express, Sam Stevenson, has exposed prevailing misconceptions regarding India in the West.
Giving a candid assessment of India’s perception of the West, Stevenson elaborated on the negative bias fed by the press.
He has expressed, that Europe and the West are filled with ‘unfavorable narratives’ about India, which are primarily disseminated by media.
“Unfortunately, the perceptions of India across Europe and the West are not good. And this is because we are being fed negative stories from the press,” said Stevenson to ANI.
Later, he also emphasized the importance of firsthand experience in understanding India as a country.
Talking about his recent India experience he said
“People need to come here, see it with their own eyes, live it, breathe it, meet the people, speak to people on the ground, and you will be seeing that new India, global Britain, we can be a force for good. said Stevenson.
Advocating for more nuanced reporting, he also criticized reporting of religious dynamics in India, calling out ‘simplistic narratives’ perpetuated by media.
“The British media are attempting to simplify something that’s very complicated. They’re saying (PM) Modi is anti-Islam. But actually, when you get on the ground and you speak to real Muslims, when you speak to Hindus, Sikhs, you will see that India is accepting of all cultures or religions.”
Meanwhile, while covering India’s recent ongoing election, he also emphasized on giving accurate picture of the country saying
“It’s time to start telling the positive stories of new India, of this great nation on its epic trajectory to becoming a USD 5 trillion economy in the future.”
Later, Stevenson also vowed to deal with these existing narratives and bring out the “reality of India’s pluralistic society”.
All-in-all, underscoring his commitment for journalistic integrity and factual reporting, he signed off saying
“We’re here to level up the British media’s coverage of this nation. And we’re here to get to the truth and find some real facts and bring them home to London,”