Media laws and ethics

The essentials

In India, freedom of the press is part of the freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. This freedom is not absolute; Article 19(2) allows reasonable restrictions on grounds such as the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, public order, decency or morality, contempt of court and defamation. Beyond laws, journalists follow ethical codes to remain trustworthy. The Press Council of India is a statutory body that sets standards for the print media.

Key points

• Sensationalism: exaggerating or dramatising news to attract audiences, at the cost of accuracy.
• Fake news: false or misleading information presented as news, often spread rapidly online.
• Paid news: content presented as independent news but actually published in return for money or favours; it misleads readers.
• Plagiarism: using someone else's words, images or ideas without credit.
• Sting operation: secret recording to expose wrongdoing; it is justified only by strong public interest and must not create the crime or invade privacy unfairly.
• Defamation: harming a person's reputation by false statements; written or published defamation is libel, spoken defamation is slander. Truth and public good are main defences.
• Right to privacy and protection of victims' identities are key ethical concerns.

Exam tips

Learn to identify each ethical problem from a short case. Remember that Article 19(1)(a) gives the freedom and Article 19(2) gives the restrictions.

Common mistakes

Paid news is not the same as an advertisement. An advertisement is openly labelled as paid; paid news hides the payment and pretends to be news.