you are doing a commendable job. What the said news channel has done in the name of “sting operation” is a blot on journalistic ethic. This episode has irreparably tarnished the image of media in public eye and has raised serious questions about its credence as a pillar of democracy.

There is a dictum that freedom always comes with responsibility. To acquire freedom is to bear moral responsibility. A normative question that agitates our mind is, if freedom is prior to dignity. Can ‘A’, in his/her mindless pursuit of freedom, be allowed to invade and damage ‘B’s dignity? This question acquires rather more normative importance in the sense that the said incident amounts to an institutionalized attempt to damage and erode one’s dignity. Media is an institution and it enjoys freedom as an institution. Its reports and visuals sometimes create public hysteria because they are hailed with credibility. But what Uma khurana would have gone through by suffering at the hands of public hysteria is beyond imagination. Her perceived loss of dignity is beyond reparation. The point that I want to make is that the perceived loss of dignity is more painful than the loss of freedom. The uma khurana incident makes a perfect case for the state to step in and contemplate legislative measures so that institutional freedom, like the one enjoyed by the media, is always accompanied by a corresponding sense of responsibility.

A very serious side of institutional freedom being exercised by media is that it monopolizes the regulation and dissemination of information. What is worrisome to see is that most of the channels are driven by crude commercial interests even at the perils of professional ethics. Informations are disseminated in such a way as to augment the commercial interest of the channel to the maximum. The other side of the story is often neglected if it doesn’t have capacity to generate much of TRP or if it doest not suit the ‘social self-interest’ and commercial interest. Consequently people develop a conjectured public opinion. Technological control by the media of means and devices of creating and disseminating idea in a selective manner is a dangerous development for the health of our society and polity. If such a rotten state of affairs continues, I m afraid, we are going to witness a spate of what I would phrase “media absolutism”. By the incident like this one, what generally happens is that our trust in the media, as an institution of credence, becomes the first casualty. In the end, I wish to make it clear that I should not be construed as if I am arguing for a case of censorship by curbing the freedom of media. My only concern is that media should realize its role in the making of an informed citizenry and thereby in the deepening of democracy. It would be praiseworthy if media becomes a ‘responsible media’ by being self-critical and ‘self-corrective’, else it would be contingent upon the state to contemplate some legislative measures to do the same.

Rahul, You are absolutely right in your comment. Your voice is just the reflection of frustration rising inside a common Indian who expect a lot of responsible acts from the Press in India. The ’Press’ has been changed in ’media’ and the electronic media is creating a pseudo-concept that they are the real journalists because they have the power of camera to present the truth as it is. According to my view, the intentions in the brain working behind the camera should be constructive. If it is not, then camera would lie all the time. The nation saw an example of that.

I had read in the political science books in college days.. Power corrupts...absolute power corrupts absolutely.. You said almost the same thing here as..freedom always comes with responsibility. To acquire freedom is to bear moral responsibility.. A very serious side of institutional freedom being exercised by media is that it monopolizes the regulation and dissemination of information. You are very much correct here.

There should be some restriction on such media houses to restrict the very serious side of institutional freedom being exercised by media is that it monopolizes the regulation and dissemination of information.

Another conscious citizen wrote me in a personal mail to me as...there are lot of people who become myopic when their self interest is involve and hence we do need code of conduct in every sphere of life........otherwise there will be chaos in the civil society.

This is nothing but a rising public outrage against the misuse of constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression by some business-minded people in the name of journalism.