Media should steer clear of sensationalism : Justice Dattu

Speed Post News Network

Bengaluru: Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, Justice H L Dattu on June 22, 2017, said that the Commission recognizes the media as a valuable ally in addressing human rights violations in the country. However, he said that in order to become genuine protectors of human rights, the media would have to steer clear of sensationalism and provocative journalism, which can cause considerable damage to not only the persons concerned but also vitiate the larger socio-cultural-religious relations in society.

Justice Dattu was delivering the inaugural address at the workshop on “Role of media in promotion and protection of human rights”,organized by the NHRC in collaboration with National Law School of India University, NLSUI, Bangalore.

Justice Dattu said that the role of media in highlighting the acts of commission, omission, abetment and negligence of the state and its agencies, which result in rights violations, is indispensible to the work of the Commission. There have been several instances when media has acted as an agent for constructive change and notable developments within human rights jurisprudence. Describing journalists and other associated with media as human rights defenders, he said that attacks on them by vested interests are condemnable for not only do they weaken the freedom of the media but also democratic processes, according to a PIB release.

NHRC Chairperson Justice Dattu said that media is very powerful but ‘with great power comes great responsibilities’ also. He said that the ‘Golden Triangle’ comprising equality before law, freedom of speech of expression and the protection of life and personal liberty under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution provide the broad framework of rights and responsibilities that the media must actively speak to operate within.

Describing media trials as very anti-thesis to the rule of law, he said that these may lead to a gross miscarriage of justice, which is a matter of urgent concern and required to be pondered over by the media in earnest.

Justice Dattu said that unfortunately, in recent times, it has been observed that mainstream media often fails to reflect some of the pressing challenges that confront large sections of society including Dalits, Adivasis, women, rural poor, urban poor and workers in the unorganized sector, among others. It appears that human rights violations only committed by the state and its various agencies against the urban elite and middle classes are now considered worthy of mainstream media space. He lauded the role of the vernacular media for continuing to highlight important human rights issues from the forgotten regions of the country. 

Earlier, addressing the participants, Prof R Venkata  Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLSUI, said it is the responsibility of the state to provide protection to mediapersons.

Meera Saksena, Acting Chairperson, Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, acknowledged how media reports have usefully served the Commission to take suo motu cognizance of incidents of human rights violations, but underscored the harms of unconfirmed media reports. She said that media persons need to be cautious exploring the angle of scoop while reporting. People’s rights should not be trampled in a rush to achieve TRPs and circulation targets, she added, according to the PIB release.