New Delhi. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday warned of the dangers of fake news, saying such news can create tension between different communities. Along with this, he said that fake news can also pose a threat to democratic values. He was addressing the Ramnath Goenka Award function here as the chief guest.
Chief Justice Chandrachud said, “Fake news is a serious threat to the freedom and fairness of the press in the present society. It is the collective responsibility of the journalists as well as the stakeholders to keep away any bias or prejudice during the process of reporting… Fake news can mislead millions of people at a go and it will be against the fundamental principles of democracy that underlie our existence Builds the foundation of.
Responsible journalism is the engine leading democracy towards a better future.
Justice Chandrachud termed responsible journalism as the engine that takes democracy towards a better future. He said, ‘Responsible journalism works like an engine that takes democracy towards a better tomorrow. In the digital age, it is more important than ever that journalists do accurate, fair, responsible and fearless journalism.
Justice Chandrachud emphasized, ‘A functioning and healthy democracy always encourages the development of journalism as an institution which can ask tough questions to institutions or in simple language can ‘tell truth to power.’ Mobility is compromised when the press is prevented from doing so. For the country to remain democratic, the press must remain free.
The Chief Justice said that it was a fearful time, but at the same time it was also a fearless time for the rise of fearless journalism. Justice Chandrachud said that 25 June 1975 was an important moment in our history. He said, “A declaration (of emergency) defined and redefined our notions of freedom and threats to it and also how vulnerable it could be….”
Justice Chandrachud said that there is a need to bridge the gap between truth and falsehood. He said, ‘Fake news has the potential to create tension between communities, therefore it is putting our democratic values at risk.’
