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SC raps section of media for 'irresponsible reporting'

Supreme Court of India | PTI Supreme Court of India | PTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday lashed out at a section of the media for what it said was "irresponsible reporting" and observed that they should not feel like the "Pope sitting on the pulpit".

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, in particular, criticised the electronic media and websites against baseless publications, containing insinuations, and emphasised the importance of "responsible journalism".

Justice Misra said,"Many in the electronic media think they can write anything. Whatever excites your imagination—you can write anything and get away... can some people sit on the pulpit and write anything? Is that journalism?"

"How can anyone write whatever they feel about anyone. There are limits... are they free to write anything? What they write sometimes is sheer contempt of court," the CJI observed.

Stressing that he was not commenting on the case before the bench, Justice Misra added, "You cannot reproduce anything that comes to your heart and mind. There has to be some basis. You cannot nurture, construct, construe, create anything. That's not the culture of journalism."

"The question of gagging the media does not come at all. I have myself rebuffed all attempts to gag the media, but we do expect the media, especially electronic media, to become more responsible. They cannot publish anything only because they have some websites," Justice Misra said, while cautioning such electronic media and websites.

Justice Misra's remarks came during the hearing of an appeal by a news portal and its founding editors and journalist against the Gujarat High Court's January 8 order, refusing to quash summons issued against them by a trial court.