Former SC Judge B. Sudarshan Reddy Urges Journalists to Unite Against Media Laws

Former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy called on the journalistic fraternity to mount a collective fight to protect their rights and seek wider support from society, expressing dismay over their "silence" regarding the Union government's attempts to introduce laws governing the media.

Speaking in Hyderabad on Sunday at a national conclave organised by the Federation of Press Clubs, Justice Sudarshan Reddy addressed a panel discussion titled 'Protection of Journalists: The Need for Collectivisation to Protect Journalists from Coercion by the State'. He stated that ongoing attempts to dilute laws established to protect journalists remain a serious concern.

Justice Sudarshan Reddy highlighted that the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 alone cannot protect media professionals. He stated that safeguarding their rights requires a comprehensive understanding of prevailing socio-economic and political conditions. He further attributed the rising vulnerabilities faced by journalists to neoliberal economic policies as well as internal divisions within the fraternity.

Other media figures also addressed the panel on issues concerning working conditions and press freedom. Hartosh Singh Bal, Executive Editor of The Caravan and a member of the seven-member committee that drafted the Media Transparency (And Accountability) Bill, voiced concern over the weakening of journalists' trade unions and the increasing prevalence of contractual employment.

Bal emphasized the necessity for journalists to unite and collectively resist efforts by media managements to undermine workers' rights and weaken union structures.

Additionally, Telangana Media Academy chairman K. Sreenivas Reddy spoke at the conclave, raising concerns regarding the declining standards of news reporting. The discussion was moderated by Press Club of India president Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty.