Journalists and experts from various fields convened at a seminar to discuss the challenges faced by the media “on a daily basis” and advocated the need for a centralized law to safeguard “truth-seeking journalists” while addressing those who propagate fake news.
The all-India seminar, organized under the Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU), also emphasized the establishment of a media commission, a long-standing request, asserting that while the Press Council of India is “constitutionally strong,” it lacks the authority of a commission.
S N Sinha, the seminar coordinator and former IJU president, stated that the Indian Journalists’ Union organized a national-level seminar to deliberate on the challenges faced by the media at all levels every day and how to incorporate them into the law to protect genuine journalists and penalize fake and paid news disseminators.
In the nearly three-hour brainstorming session, representatives from over a dozen states and union territories examined the various challenges encountered by the media, including print, electronic, and social media. They considered ways to “shield legitimate journalists from harassment, threats, and violence while addressing their financial well-being.”
Sinha added that the seminar discussed the enactment of a media protection act and the establishment of a media commission.
Addressing the event, IJU president Srinivas Reddy supported the demand for the formation of a media commission.
Supreme Court lawyer Rakesh Khanna and IPS officer-turned-rights activist Amod Kanth endorsed the IJU’s demand and suggested that India could take inspiration from other countries like Pakistan and enact laws to protect journalists, emphasizing that the media protection act of Pakistan provides essential safeguards for press freedom and journalists’ rights.
Amod Kanth further explained that the media protection act from Pakistan includes the right to non-disclosure of sources, restrictions on undue enforcement, and protection of the reputation and privacy of individuals. It also has the powers of a civil court, based on the colonial IPC section 1908, making it a relevant model for India.
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