Indians are afraid of fake news, but don’t care about press freedom

While distrust of fake news is high, confidence in systemic solutions such as free news remains low | Image source: Evgeniy Maloletka

In India, despite widespread anxiety about misinformation and fake news, people largely do not attribute it to the influence of the government. Conversely, a relatively large share doesn’t mind a larger national censorship, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Survey data show that despite high distrust of fake news, confidence in systemic solutions such as free printing remains low. In fact, relatively large respondents believe that the media has no state censorship and supports greater state control over the press.

In other words, the data suggests that many citizens believe that misinformation is a source such as social media, WhatsApp or other non-governmental actors rather than sources that are censored or suppressed by states.

In India, 65% of respondents said makeup news and information are a very big problem in the country. It was one of the highest speeds of the 35 countries surveyed and placed India among the top 10 most worrying countries.

Meanwhile, only 68% of respondents said that news without state or government censorship is very important for media coverage of news, the second highest rate in 35 countries surveyed.

In fact, 80% of respondents believe that Indian media is currently somewhat free or completely free from state intervention. This is one of the highest speeds in the countries surveyed and again ranked India in the top ten.

This dichotomy has had a serious impact on India’s press freedom, which has been deteriorating rapidly. In 2024, India ranked 159th in the World Press Freedom Index and was published by journalists without borders. Although India has been ranking below 100 in the under 100 since 2003, this has worsened significantly in recent years.

Figure 1 shows the share of respondents who say makeup news and information are a big problem in their country.

In Bangladesh, South Korea, Chile, Colombia and Thailand, more than 70% of respondents feel this feeling. In Peru, the Philippines, Türkiye, Greece and India, more than 65% or more respondents said. Fake news has the lowest focus in Singapore, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Israel.

Figure 2 shows the share of respondents, who say that news without state or government censorship is very important for the media.

More than 90% of the shares in Greece, Sweden, the United Kingdom and 11 other countries. Between 80% and 90% of 13 countries; between 70% and 80% of 5 countries. In India and Kenya, less than 70% of respondents stressed the need for media without a state censorship.

Figure 3 shows the share of respondents who say the media is currently completely/some free in their country.

India, Sweden, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ghana, Australia, Kenya and Thailand are 80% or more of the respondents said the media is now completely or some free in eight countries. In Chile and Greece, less than 40% of people feel this way.

Reading Figures 2 and 3 together provides different perspectives. India and Kenya are the only two countries, with the larger respondents deeming the media free (80% or more), while the smaller share (less than 70%) underlines the importance of media freedom.

In other words, there is a “press freedom gap” in 33 of the 35 countries surveyed, which means that people who think media freedom have a larger share than they believe it. In contrast, in India and Kenya, this gap has been reversed.

Source: The figures are taken from Pew Research Center’s “Global Important Free Expression, But Not Everyone Thinks of News, Speech and Internet Freedom in their Country, released in April 2025