World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on May 3 as a reminder to the government
of the need to respect their commitments to press freedom. World Press Freedom Das 2022 is also a reflection among media professionals on the issues of press freedom and professional
ethics. Freedom of the press is not expressly protected by the Indian legal system but it is impliedly protected under article 19(1) (a) of the constitution, which states- “All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression”.
The constitution, the supreme law of the land, guarantees freedom of speech and expression under Article 19, which deals with ‘Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech,
etc.'
IN 1950, the Supreme Court in Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras observed that freedom of the press lay at the foundation of all democratic organizations.
However, Freedom of press is also not absolute. It faces certain restrictions
under Article 19(2), which are as follows matters related to interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.
At least 6 scribes were killed, 108 attacked and 13 media houses targeted in 2021, report by New Delhi-based rights group says. The highest number of journalists or media organizations targeted was in J&K, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Delhi, Bihar, Assam, Haryana and Maharashtra, Goa and Manipur, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala ,” the report stated. In 2021, at least 24 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, threatened, harassed and obstructed from doing their professional work by public officials, including police, across the country. The police assaulted 17 of them. The year saw FIRs registered against 44 journalists, 21 of them under Section 153 of the IPC relating to promoting enmity.
In April 2022, at least five journalists covering an event organized by Hindu nationalist groups in Delhi were attacked. Delhi police subsequently opened a criminal investigation into
one of these journalists, Meer Faisal, accusing him of inciting hatred through a tweet, in which he alleged that participants in the event attacked him and photojournalist. In 2020 fourth consecutive year.”
WITHIN INDIA CASES RELATED TO THE THEME OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY- Journalism Under Digital Siege.
Within India, Jammu and Kashmir was the worst affected, with at least 85 shutdowns. The government is increasingly using technology to curtail human rights and stifle freedom of expression online. In February 2021, the Indian government published the Information
Technology Rules, which imperil freedom of expression and the right to privacy.
These rules empower the government to summarily compel the removal of online content without any judicial oversight. They also jeopardize encryption, which is crucial for ensuring privacy and security online, and routinely used by journalists to protect their sources and themselves from
being targeted.
The Pegasus Project found that over 40 Indian journalists appeared on a
leaked list of potential targets for surveillance. The Indian government has repeatedly stalled attempts to investigate these allegations. This perpetuates an environment of surveillance impunity that results in a chilling effect on free speech and media freedoms, the groups said.
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While in the pre-Internet world, freedom of expression and privacy were thought to only interact when journalists reported on public figures in the name of the right to know, the rights have become increasingly interdependent
This linkage reflects digital business models and the development of new surveillance technologies and large-scale data collection and retention. The changes pose risks in terms of reprisals against media workers and their sources, thereby affecting the free exercise of journalism. Under this year’s theme, the celebration will also discuss how these developments impact the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, data protection and privacy, by looking into big data related issues such as the transparency of Internet companies, digital footprints, data retention and artificial intelligence
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