"Being Co-opted By An Ideology": Chief Justice NV Ramana's Advice To Reporters

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana today said the freedom of the press is a "valuable and sacred right enshrined in the Indian Constitution" without which there can be no debate or discussion that a democracy needs for its growth. "Allowing yourself to be co-opted by an ideology or the State is a recipe for disaster," he added while virtually delivering the keynote address at the RedInk Awards for Excellence in Indian Journalism, which took place in Mumbai.

"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," Chief Justice Ramana said at the ceremony, where NDTV's Saurabh Shukla received the award in the category of "Politics" for television journalism.

"Nothing can be more lethal to democracy than the deadly combination of confrontational polity and competitive journalism. Tragically, they feed on each other. History is witness to this hard truth," he said.

From the very beginning, the Supreme Court of India has upheld the freedom of the press "as an important facet of our Constitution", Chief Justice Ramana said.

"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.

"The media must have belief and trust in the judiciary. As a key stakeholder in democracy, the media has the duty to defend and protect the judiciary from motivated attacks by evil forces. We are together in the Mission Democracy and in promoting national interest. We have to sail together," he added.

Instituted by the Mumbai Press Club a decade ago, this is the tenth
edition of the RedInk Award.

This year, Reuters' photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, who died while being on an assignment in Afghanistan, posthumously received the award for the 'Journalist of the Year' for 2020. Senior journalist and author Prem Shankar Jha, 83, received the RedInk Awards for lifetime achievement.