Media Laws (Mr. Satya Prakash)

The class lecture dealt with state functionality and how the protection of rights provided to the citizens has to be subject to reasonable restrictions. While the state derives its legitimacy from the consent of individuals, it’s this very heterogeneity prevents the existence of absolute rights for speech. Talking about free speech and it’s implied connotations for the media, Mr. Satyaprakash discussed how the state is a self-preserving entity, and therefore promulgates laws that seek to dissuade dissent. While reasonable restrictions are imposed on free speech, the metric to gauge whether the imposed restriction is reasonable or not is the ‘direct impact’ method. Simply stated, this method ascertains whether the restriction imposed completely hinders the very right it has presupposed to exist.

The first lecture on media laws and ethics by Mr. Satyaprakash focused on the basic duties of a reporting, during on-field reporting. In an elaborate lecture, he said about the basic duties and rules to be followed by reporters, that enables us to cover a complete story which makes sense and appeals to the larger masses.

Of the many things that he explained, he said that the first and foremost duty of a reporter includes informing the office or the editor about the incident and seeking permission to go ahead for covering the story. On getting a go ahead, there are several other factors that must be considered to make the news worthwhile.

One of the first ones to follow is the 5W1H rule, which entails covering ‘What the incident or the story is all about and where did it occur, when and why did it happen and whom all does it affect’ and how? This ensures that the news being filed is complete in every sense and makes it to the final print.

He continued with the lecture and talked at length about setting an agenda for discussion and debate in the society. This however is decided on the nature of reporting being done. For instance, only covering a particular incident and its details falls under micro reporting. On the other hand, covering the bigger picture related to the incident is macro reporting, and this is what sets the tone for debates and discussions.

Journalism and journalists, more often than not, act as a watchdog for the society. They report and cover the details pertaining to events which go unnoticed. Investigative journalism is one such field, which requires coming out with facts supported by proof, which otherwise would not come to the knowledge of the common man. And for all this, it is very important that to educate the common masses, one needs to research and research more to mature as a journalist. And then we have the duty to entertain the masses, by thinking and coming up with various ways in which the common man can be kept engaged to a common social cause.