PRESS FREEDOM IN INDIA

-
Freedom of press has been granted under Article 19(1)(a) of constitution with reasonable restrictions. But the recently released Press freedom index report put India on 138th number; just one rank above Pakistan shows the worrying level of threat that the press in India faces.

REASONS OF LOW RANKING


  • The colonial era SEDITION LAW has been used extensively to promote "SELF CENSORSHIP". The NCRB data shows that only 2 of 112 cases registered under 124-A between 2014-2016 resulted in conviction which proves that it is merely deterrence.
  • The murder of eminent journalist like GAURI LANKESH, SANDEEP SHARMA, SUJAAT BUKHARI, etc.
  • Government ban on Kashmir newspapers are seen as direct attack on press freedom
  • The use of derogatory language like presstitute, giraegi etc.
  • Government order on fake news issue is widely seen as Government attempt to interfere in media working
  • Regular death threat and trolling of journalist on various platforms.
But the problem is not limited to this. The media today is facing more threat from within than from outside; for example: Paid News, TRP focused trivialized contents, big corporate controlling media houses, menace of fake news etc.
This shows that there is urgent need of reform to restore public trust in media.

REFORMS REQUIRED

  • Ownership restriction on cross holding and aggregate holding have to be legislated. TRAI has suggested maximum 32% market share.
  • A law can be passed to create a wall between managerial and editorial department.
  • Creating a genuinely independent and transparent system for accessing circulation and rating of media
  • We can apply recommendation of LEVESON COMMITTEE REPORT in Indian context
  • Press Council of India (PCI) is powerless therefore a new body must be created which represents all media platforms and helps in controlling FAKE NEWS AND PAID NEWS.
Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. In a developing country like India, it has great responsibility to fight backward ideas and inculcate modern ideas. Therefore making a truly free and quality media is the foremost requirement of country.

Source :- Chanakya IAS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RSTV- The Big Picture : Flashpoint Syria

-
Image
In News:  Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that further Western attacks on Sevilla would bring chaos to world affairs as Washington prepared to increase pressure on Russia with new economic sanctions. Putin and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, have agreed that the Western strikes had damaged the chances of achieving a political resolution in the seven-year Syrian conflict . T he United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles targeting three chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Duma. The Western countries blame Assad for the Duma attack that killed dozens of people. The Syrian government and its ally Russia have denied involvement in any such attack. The bombings marked the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and Ally Russia. Situation in Syria and what it means for the world The larger reality of the Syrian conflict:  Seven years down the line, but it remains where it was
Read more

Blockchain Technology

-
Image
Headline :  Blockchain Technology Details : Details:   Blockchain Technology The Blockchain technology has become a regular news item with the emergence of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Now, this technology is disrupting almost all markets, changing the way we do our day to day business. Yes, the blockchain technology is changing our world. Blockchain: Introduction Blockchain is a digital ledger. Ledger is a book containing accounts to which debits and credits are posted from books of original entry. A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger. The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of transactions that can be programmed to record virtually everything of value. Each list of record in a blockchain is called block. So a blockchain is a continuously growing list of records called blocks, which are linked and secured. Blockchain Technology was invented by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 for use in the cryptocurrency bitcoin, as its public transaction ledg
Read more

After two decades of Pokran - II

-
Headline :  After two decades of Pokran - II Details : Details:  After two decades of Pokran - II It has been 2 decades since Pokaran nuclear tests of 1998 (Pokran – II). India has more or less achieved the envisioned strategic goals, but the road has not been smooth. Need of Pokran – II: A future India with nuclear weapons, which would provide for a strategic and military leverage, was hotly discussed in the 1980s. The primary idea was off-set conventional Chinese military superiority and neutralise its nuclear arsenal. Hence, India conducted 5 nuclear tests at Pokhran over 2 days in May 1998. While the envisioned purpose has largely been achieved presently, the road hasn’t been smooth as multiple sanctions and restrictions had to be overcome. What followed in the immediate aftermath? Reactions - While several global powers reacted to Pokhran-II with fury, the permanent members of the UN Security Council were divided. The US, China, and the UK were critical of Indi
Read more