Is the Press Council being Selective in Upholding Media Freedom? (Paper)

  • Gaurav Dilip Jangle, MNLU Nagpur
  • December 30, 2020

Content :

The Press Council of India was setup as a quasi judicial authority to acts as a watch dog on the press. The media is considered to be the fourth of pillar of democracy. Hence, it very important that it should be free from the suppression of the powerful. Also, it has been given freedom of speech and expression by the Constitution of India under Article 19 (A) like any other citizen. However, this freedom is not absolute and subject to reasonable restrictions. Apart from this, it is equally important that the press is not breaching and violating the norms of journalistic conduct and professional standards and ethics. The press council of India looks after this. It also has the power to take a suo motu cognizance and can file a case if it feels reasonable. This paper deals with whether the press council is selective in upholding the media rights or not. Is it properly functioning according to its provisions or violating it?