Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Supreme Court issues notice for laying down media norms

  • Justice Balakrishnan said the media were a sentinel of democratic freedom. It was the responsibility of every person associated with the media to act responsibly with a sense of duty towards society and the nation. In fact, journalists were “vigilant watchdogs of civil liberties.” The right of the media to report court proceedings emanated from the right of the citizen to know. The media also had the duty to report fairly, objectively and accurately. He said the media should be wary of allowing itself to become a vehicle for exerting “mass pressure” as opposed to a “mere expression of mass opinion.”
  • If the media prints or broadcasts content that unjustly maligns an individual, there are laws in place to deal with slander and defamation.

No comments: