NEW DELHI, Oct 6 (APP): The Press Council of India has said judiciary should be more sensitive to the delicate duties and functions of the press and before taking any view it might be considered whether the criticism per se undermined the functioning of the courts.
At a meeting in Panaji, the Council discussed the issue of contempt proceedings against the Mid Day journalists before the High Court of Delhi.
It reiterated its stand that truth be accepted as defence in any contempt proceedings against the media.
The Mid Day issue is pending before the Supreme Court.
In a democratic set-up, it said, all institutions were open to bona fide critical evaluation of their functioning and such criticism in the public interest only strengthened the quality of their functioning.
“Truth forming the basis of the media information has now been protected under the amended provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act; therefore, media information based on truth and published in the public interest constitutes defence in contempt proceedings,” the Council observed.
At the same time, the press while exercising its powers and duties must subject itself to an effective system of self-regulation and public accountability to ensure the fairness of conduct.
“The readers’ right to know all sides of any issue of public importance is a natural corollary of the freedom enjoyed by the press in a democracy”, it further observed.
The meeting adjudicated on 55 complaints of violation of the norms of journalistic ethics and threats to the freedom of press.