COURTESY HT SEPT 19

BE AT COST OF HUMAN DIGNITY, SAYS SC

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New Delhi : The existing mechanism governing self-regulation of TV media is ineffective and needs to be strengthened so that media freedom is not used to the detriment of human dignity, the Supreme Court observed on Friday, taking exception to the contents of a television programme, Bindas Bol, aired by Sudarshan News which made allegations regarding the entry of Muslim candidates in civil services.

A three-judge bench headed by justice DY Chandrachud said the court will not stand in the way of media discussing dubious funding of NGOs or issues concerning national security, and it is fully conscious of the dangers of restricting media freedom after the excesses of the Emergency in 1975. But free speech rights and media freedom cannot be used to the detriment of human dignity, it added.

The court told Sudarshan News that targeting an entire community on the basis of dubious funding of one organisation is not acceptable, and called for a more robust self-regulation mechanism. It directed the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) to come up with concrete suggestions on strengthening its self-regulation mechanism, even as Sudarshan News is not a member of NBA