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National Press Day was celebrated in India on November 16 to acknowledge the Press Council of India, a statutory and quasi-judicial establishment which was instituted on this day in 1966 with an objective to act as a moral watchdog to ensure that Indian press maintain reportage quality and journalists uphold fundamental principles like impartiality, accuracy, objectivity and fairness. Unlike other occasions observed annually, many may be either not aware of National Press Day or choose to overlook it but that doesn’t take away its significance. And journalists work on this day like any other day as dissemination of information to the public can’t be stopped. Many individuals, including lawmakers took to social media to greet the media fraternity on the occasion, lauding its role in disseminating information and awareness to the public during this pandemic and assured to ensure freedom of press in the country underscoring its role in nation-building. It is a fact that right to freedom of speech and expression is enshrined in the constitution of India though freedom of the press is not specifically mentioned. Except during the emergency, the country has not openly muzzled the media. It is also reassuring that political leaders of the day advocate press freedom. However, the press is not as free as it appears to be.
According to the Reporters Without Borders’ 2020 World Press Freedom Index, India has slipped to 142 position among 180 countries. Norway stands at number one spot, followed by Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Netherlands, while North Korea is at the bottom. It stated that in India, “there have been constant press freedom violations, including police violence against journalists, ambushes by political activists, and reprisals instigated by criminal groups or corrupt local officials”. This report holds waters as the country saw mobile internet connections being shut in Jammu and Kashmir for months together and several journalists arrested and killed during the past few years. The arrest of Republic TV’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami; and killing of journalists Damodharan in Tamil Nadu and Shubham Mani Tripathi in Uttar Pradesh, among others, that happened this year are still fresh in the minds of the people. These incidents indicate that Indian press is not completely free and gagging tactics on journalists, especially those daring to cover controversial and pressing issues, still continue and some precious lives have been cut short too. It’s time for some serious retrospection, put political rhetoric about protecting media into practice and shun violence against journalists.
While accusations that some sections of the media have been resorting to sensationalism and deviating from real pressing issues confronting the society by giving undue coverage to trivial issues may not be completely unfounded, media by and large, has stood its ground. It, however, should take criticisms and people’s feedback positively, rectify the loopholes and continue to play its role as the watchdog of the society. This is pertinent because, despite facing the challenge of a possible cannibalisation by social media, traditional media’s credibility in unmatched in this age where fake news abounds and information goes live unverified. But for journalists to discharge their duties fearlessly and with objectivity, government should ensure their safety and stand for freedom of press, which Mahatma Gandhi described as “a precious privilege that no country can forego”. It is the democracy that will ultimately suffer if its fourth pillar is shaken.