AFPC-USA Names Anisha Dutta a 2023 Scholarship Awardee

Anisha Dutta is a New York-based investigative journalist from India with experience spanning nine years as a leading correspondent specializing in the intricate interplay between politics and policy.

Her recent stories have been published in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Economic Times, and The Print.

With a steadfast commitment to uncovering the truth, Anisha has made significant contributions to journalism by meticulously documenting the rise of authoritarianism in South Asia, closely tracking far-right Hindu nationalism, national Indian politics, foreign policy, and international conflicts.

One of Anisha’s recent achievements includes a two-part investigation for The Guardian, delving into the Indian government's classified documents on the complex issue of Kashmir. In June 2022, she also published a special investigation for The Guardian on how the Indian government has been secretly working to keep its reputation as the “world’s largest democracy” alive after being called out by researchers for serious democratic backsliding under the nationalist rule of Narendra Modi.

Anisha enrolled in Columbia University's master's program for political journalism, where she deepened her expertise in political writing and analytical reporting. Prior to her studies at Columbia, Anisha served as an Assistant Editor at the Indian Express, one of India's leading English dailies. In this role, she was instrumental in delivering exclusive scoops on India's right-wing Narendra Modi-led government, shedding light on intricate and fast-paced beats. Her ground-breaking reporting on government letters, revealing India's attempts to influence global democracy rankings, further demonstrated her commitment to uncovering politically sensitive information. 

During her tenure as Special Correspondent in the national political bureau of Hindustan Times, Anisha contributed significantly to the field by breaking essential stories, including her exposé on India's handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Her reporting led to a political uproar, culminating in the Indian government officially acknowledging the death toll among migrant laborers.

What was the primary reason you chose to pursue your master's studies in the United States as a foreign journalist?

After reporting for nearly eight years covering important beats in India focusing on national politics and policy making, I felt it was time as a mid-career journalist to advance my reportage and to get a more nuanced knowledge of international political journalism.

 The academic environment in the United States is par excellence and Columbia University’s Journalism School was a fine example. I also wanted to deepen my skills in long form writing and deeply reported investigative pieces.

 As a foreign journalist it was a fantastic learning experience to work alongside the best journalists in the world at the journalism school. As a mid-career correspondent pursuing Master's studies in the U.S, it helped me a lot to expand my horizons by combining academia with professional journalism education. 

You were recently awarded a scholarship from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA). How did you feel about this recognition?

It was a great feeling to be recognised by a prestigious organisation like the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) that is associated with some of the best foreign journalists in the country. The recognition was a big honour and an opportunity to help me realize my goals.

As a journalist, how do you expect your studies and the support from AFPC-USA to help you advance your career?

The support from the scholarship and Columbia Journalism School will help provide a platform to do better and responsible journalism at a time when the world is facing multiple conflicts. The scholarship will also help take care of my financial burden and aid me in my quest to continue reporting on important sociopolitical issues.

Why do you think the work of AFPC-USA is important and what are your thoughts on its impact on the journalism field at large?

AFPC-USA’s vast pool of resources and network of foreign journalists is a great resource for any journalist to be associated with. The AFPC plays a pivotal role in supporting and promoting responsible journalism within the United States. Through its various initiatives, the organization contributes significantly to the field of foreign reporting.

It offers journalism resources through online platforms, making tools, training, and press freedom reports available to foreign correspondents. It also conducts interviews with experts, provides objective reporting, and fosters insightful commentary, thus raising the standard of foreign journalism. 

Additionally, the prizes for professional excellence recognize and incentivize outstanding reporting in various fields, promoting high standards in journalism. It serves as a crucial pillar in fostering responsible, informed, and free journalism, furthering global understanding and respect for the profession.  

What made you decide to become a journalist? How do you hope to make an impact in the journalism field of your country of origin?

One word answer to that question would be: Anger. Anger at anything that made a common citizen feel helpless, bureaucratic hurdles governments had in place to avoid accountability, and the injustices that led to inequality especially in a deeply pluralistic yet unequal country. I decided to focus on these issues and hold the establishment accountable. Journalists across the world have a duty to be anti-establishment; that is the role the fourth pillar of the society has to play.

What is the state of press freedom in your country of origin and how do you hope that your work will encourage more people to access independent and credible information?

In my country, India, unfortunately the media has strayed from this basic principle of holding the government accountable. I have fought and strived, through my reporting, to avoid that trend at all cost. I hope younger journalists continue to fight for justice and to ensure the media plays the role it was supposed to.

 At present, the vast majority of the Indian media has become embarrassingly pro-establishment, and completely discarded the responsibility of remaining unbiased and truthful. It is fair to say that Indian media is reeling through its biggest crisis under the current regime which remains authoritarian in its attack on dissent. There is hope, however, in independent newsrooms and independent journalists who continue to report the truth under tremendous pressure. People too, seek unbiased avenues of news and strive for better journalism. I hope to encourage more reporters, especially those who are entering the field at a time of great despair, to continue reporting diligently.

What do you think is the greatest threat to journalism today?

As the world faces multiple conflicts over the past few years, misinformation warfare has grown to be a huge threat to journalism across platforms. Authoritarian regimes have deployed vast resources through their IT cells to spread misinformation to sway public opinion and discredit journalism. Fact-checkers have taken the onus of combating these mammoth machineries on themselves but remain constantly under pressure. The media, now, more than ever should double its effort in keeping this in check through rigid fact-checking, reportage and remaining steadfast in reporting accurately without bias.