<p>Describing freedom of the press as a “sacrosanct Constitutional right”, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said journalists allowing themselves to be co-opted by an ideology or the State is a recipe for disaster.</p>.<p>“Allowing yourself to be co-opted by an ideology or the State is a recipe for disaster. Journalists are like judges in one sense. Regardless of the ideology, you profess and the beliefs you hold dear, you must do your duty without being influenced by them. You must report only the facts, with a view to give a complete and accurate picture,” he said in his address.</p>.<p>News mixed with views is a dangerous cocktail, he said, expressing deep concern over cherry-picking facts and biased reports. “…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. Connected to this is the problem of partial reporting, of cherry-picking facts to give it a particular colour,” CJI said.</p>.<p>“Elect portions of a speech get highlighted – mostly out of context - to suit a certain agenda,” he said at the Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk Awards 2021, which he addressed online.</p>.<p>According to him, nothing can be more lethal to democracy than the deadly combination of confrontational polity and competitive journalism.</p>.<p>Quoting famous US reporter, Walter Cronkite, he said: “We all have our likes and our dislikes. But... when we’re doing the news - when we're doing the front-page news, not the back page, not the op-ed pages, but when we're doing the daily news, covering politics - it is our duty to be sure that we do not permit our prejudices to show. That is simply basic journalism.”</p>.<p>Justice Ramana pointed out that the freedom of the press is a sacrosanct Constitutional right. “From the very beginning, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the freedom of the press as an important facet of our Constitution, from <em>Sakal Papers</em> and R Rajagopal to Anuradha Bhasin. However, this freedom comes with an enormous responsibility that must be borne by every individual who is part of the journalistic enterprise, the journalists, editors, and management,” he said. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>Describing freedom of the press as a “sacrosanct Constitutional right”, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said journalists allowing themselves to be co-opted by an ideology or the State is a recipe for disaster.</p>.<p>“Allowing yourself to be co-opted by an ideology or the State is a recipe for disaster. Journalists are like judges in one sense. Regardless of the ideology, you profess and the beliefs you hold dear, you must do your duty without being influenced by them. You must report only the facts, with a view to give a complete and accurate picture,” he said in his address.</p>.<p>News mixed with views is a dangerous cocktail, he said, expressing deep concern over cherry-picking facts and biased reports. “…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. Connected to this is the problem of partial reporting, of cherry-picking facts to give it a particular colour,” CJI said.</p>.<p>“Elect portions of a speech get highlighted – mostly out of context - to suit a certain agenda,” he said at the Mumbai Press Club’s RedInk Awards 2021, which he addressed online.</p>.<p>According to him, nothing can be more lethal to democracy than the deadly combination of confrontational polity and competitive journalism.</p>.<p>Quoting famous US reporter, Walter Cronkite, he said: “We all have our likes and our dislikes. But... when we’re doing the news - when we're doing the front-page news, not the back page, not the op-ed pages, but when we're doing the daily news, covering politics - it is our duty to be sure that we do not permit our prejudices to show. That is simply basic journalism.”</p>.<p>Justice Ramana pointed out that the freedom of the press is a sacrosanct Constitutional right. “From the very beginning, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the freedom of the press as an important facet of our Constitution, from <em>Sakal Papers</em> and R Rajagopal to Anuradha Bhasin. However, this freedom comes with an enormous responsibility that must be borne by every individual who is part of the journalistic enterprise, the journalists, editors, and management,” he said. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
