New Delhi: Indian News Times:The Delhi High Court clarified that media responsibility is just as important as press freedom. The court observed that nowadays, anyone with a mobile phone and a microphone declares themselves a "reporter," yet many lack training and professional accountability.
Justice Girish Kathpalia made these remarks while granting bail to two accused individuals involved in an assault case against two freelance reporters working for a YouTube channel. The reporters had been filming a video at a place of worship in Delhi's Seemapuri area, which was allegedly constructed without authorization. Angered by this, locals chased them; the reporters boarded a bus, but the locals followed them onto the vehicle and beat them up. Although cases were registered against many of the assailants, the police arrested only two individuals. A hearing regarding their bail plea took place in court. During the proceedings, the court did not fully accept the prosecution's argument that the incident constituted an "attack on press freedom." The court noted that the victims did not belong to recognized media organizations. Observing that the role of the accused in the incident was not entirely clear, the court granted them bail. The court also expressed concern that the proliferation of social media and digital platforms has led to a lack of regulation in the media sector, causing the field to become chaotic. Against this backdrop, Justice Kathpalia opined that the time has come for legislatures to consider devising an appropriate regulatory framework that ensures professional accountability, ethical standards, and the rule of law, while simultaneously safeguarding press freedom.
Experts believe that the court's observations are likely to spark a nationwide debate on digital media, YouTube journalism, and media regulation.
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