It is in the air that the government is toying with the idea of bringing in a new media policy which is considered to be unwarranted by many political analysts. There is no need at all for any new media policy as it would only make confusion worse confounded.
There should be no restriction, whatever, on media whether it is print or electronic They should enjoy unfettered freedom of expression, particularly in political matters. Nobody has stayed the hands of the government to knock the door of the courts under the law of torts if it feels that any newspaper or TV channel has published or telecast any news against it which is baseless. Law of torts is very much there on our statutes. The government can always invoke it against the delinquent element in the media if it has hundred percent proof that what has been published or telecast is wrong. Time was when in England some newspapers had become notorious for slandering political opponents but when those slandered invoked the law of torts the gentlemen of the Fourth Estate practising yellow journalism came to their knees. There is, however, a need to reduce the expenditure which is incurred for invoking the law of torts whether it concerns the court fee or any other miscellaneous expenses so the common man may also benefit from it apart from the government.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the freedom of expression is sine qua non for enabling the rulers to assess the ground situation correctly. The journalists pinpoint the inadequacies of various sectors of government and through news and views published or telecast and broadcast over the electronic media, the government can easily feel the pulse of the Nation which is so essential for making correct decisions commensurate with the aspiration of the people.
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