On: HuffPost India is history, thanks to new FDI norms

[throwaway4good]

I don't quite understand this.

Why can't HuffPost India just not simply operate from the US?

[Dahoon → throwaway4good]

You need local journalists to write local news.

[sa1 → Dahoon]

> You need local journalists to write local news.

Local journalists are still free to write for foreign publications. What stops them now?

From what I see, this rule is trivially bypassed.

Imagine BBC UK having a India section, and buying stories from Indian journalists(which they already do).

[oytis → sa1]

> Local journalists are still free to write for foreign publications.

I don't know about India specifically, but in many countries working for the press gives you some special status. You are not supposed to be attacked by the police during protests, government officials owe some basic comment to you etc. Basically rights that allow you to do journalist's job legally and relatively safely. Foreign media probably don't enjoy the same privileges.

Also, when your freedom is being taken from you, finding loopholes doesn't really work in middle/long term. The regime has all the possibilities to close them one by one.

[sa1 → oytis]

I agree with you regarding all points. As someone living in India, I'm concerned with the eroding freedom. But as a person always looking for hacks, I'm also desperate for publications to simply not die off and this was one way.

[throwaway4good → Dahoon]

You just hire some local journalists to write for the American based HuffPost.

Why would that be a problem?

[Dahoon → throwaway4good]

Let me answer with a counter question: If a US based HuffPost was good enough why start an Indian based HuffPost in the first place?