New Delhi, Dec 30: Free and fearless press is essential for an efficient democracy, Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana said on Wednesday underscoring the “noble” role played by journalists in speaking truth to power, reports Bar and Bench.
A journalist’s profession is as a noble as a lawyer’s, he opined.
“For an efficient democracy there has to be a fearless press. It is said that legal profession is a noble profession. But I can state that a journalist profession is as noble. As someone who started his professional career as a journalist, I can understand your difficulties and struggles. Speaking truth to power and holding up a mirror to society, is an immense responsibility that is extremely difficult to fulfill,” he said.
He, however, said that despite the tough live which a journalist has to lead, the profession is underpaid and wages not encouraging.
“You are on your feet for long hours and constantly on call and working. Holidays are few and far between and finding time to spend with family is difficult. The stress on your family is also immense. The wages too are not very encouraging,” he said.
He was giving the keynote address at the Red Ink Awards 2021, awarded for excellence in journalism.
In his speech, Justice Ramana also touched upon the changes in the field of journalism due to the advent of digital media and social media.
“Unlike print and electronic media, unfortunately, it is almost impossible to hold the social media platforms such as YouTube accountable even after they host most derogatory and defamatory stuff which has potential to ruin careers and lives,” he said.
Interestingly, he also said that media houses need to invest in specialists for reporting, especially legal reporting.
“Law reporting needs to have professionals. Media houses should think of hiring professionals…When it comes to other Indian Language media and small media houses, it is the regular political reporter who doubles up as legal reporter whenever the necessity arises. To be able to inform the readers and viewers accurately, the media needs to invest on specialists,” he said.
He also deprecated the practice of journalists mixing their opinions in news stories.
“Another trend that I witness in reporting nowadays, is the seeping of ideological stances and biases into the news story. Interpretation and opinions are colouring what should be factual reports. News mixed with views is a dangerous cocktail,” he said.
Nothing can be more lethal to democracy than the deadly combination of confrontational polity and competitive journalism, he added.
The CJI also paid his respects to Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui who was killed while covering clashes between Afghan security forces and Taliban.
“He was a man with a magical eye and was rightly regarded as one of the foremost photojournalists of this era. If a picture can tell a thousand words, his photos were novels,” the CJI said.
Earlier this month, the CJI had lamented over the falling standards in journalism in India, opining that investigative journalism has all but vanished from the country.
