Media and Ethics (Liberal Society)

30-second summary

Part A box (each line 15 words or fewer)

1. Liberal society and the media

A liberal society rests on individual liberty, rule of law and limited, answerable power. A free media keeps these alive: it informs the public, airs criticism of power and provides an open forum for views.

J.S. Mill (On Liberty, 1859): suppressing opinion risks suppressing truth. His well-known line: "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion... mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." (Source: Wikipedia, "On Liberty".)

2. Four roles of the media

(a) informing; (b) watching power (investigative reporting); (c) forum for public debate; (d) bridge between citizen and State. The 2nd ARC (Fourth Report, January 2007, para 5.3.1) says a free media has a crucial role in the prevention, monitoring and control of corruption.

3. Ethical challenges

(our list, as points to think with)

Publishing unverified allegations in the rush of competition (2nd ARC, para 5.3.3: under competitive pressure the media sometimes does not verify allegations before publishing, and some allegations are motivated).

Trial by media, intrusion on privacy, sensationalism.

Paid or one-sided coverage; ownership and advertiser pressure.

Misinformation and rumour spreading on social media.

Gandhi's view: "the sole aim of journalism should be service... an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy"; control from without is more poisonous, and only control from within is profitable (An Autobiography; the English text is in the quotes box).

4. Legal and institutional frame

Article 19(1)(a) and 19(2): freedom of speech and its reasonable limits. In Romesh Thappar v State of Madras (26 May 1950) the Supreme Court struck down the ban on the circulation of the journal Cross Roads under the Madras Maintenance of Public Order Act, 1949, holding freedom of circulation an indispensable part of freedom of publication. The First Amendment (1951) then added "public order" to the grounds in Article 19(2). Source: a summary of the judgment (AIR 1950 SC 124).

Shreya Singhal v Union of India (24 March 2015): Section 66A of the IT Act was struck down as vague and over-broad, with a "chilling effect" on free speech; the blocking process under Section 69A was upheld. Source: Wikipedia.

Press Council of India: first set up in 1966 (under the Press Council Act, 1965), dissolved during the Emergency, and reconstituted in 1979 under the Press Council Act, 1978. Its aim is to preserve press freedom and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies; it issued the "Norms of Journalistic Conduct". It can warn, admonish, censure or disapprove, but cannot penalise. Source: Wikipedia.

2nd ARC remark (2007): the Press Council had a code of conduct for print media but no such code existed for electronic media (para 5.3.4, the position in 2007; today's position may differ, so write "in 2007").

5. Officer and media

Conduct Rule 8 (connection with press or other media): no government servant may, without previous government sanction, own, edit or manage a newspaper or other periodical or electronic media; when taking part in public media they must make clear that the views are their own, not the Government's. (Publishing a book or taking part in public media in the bona fide discharge of official duties is not barred.) The Rajasthan Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1971 have matching rules: Rule 10 (connection with the press or radio) and Rule 11 (criticism of Government); headings follow the official Rajasthan Government PDF.

Rule 9 (criticism of Government): no statement of fact or opinion, in the press, broadcast or public utterance, that adversely criticises a current or recent policy or action of the Central or a State Government; statements made in an official capacity or in the due performance of duties are excluded.

The officer's positive duty: give accurate, timely information; be courteous to those seeking it; reply to allegations with facts. The 2nd ARC (para 5.3.2) said authorities should respond immediately to media reports of corruption, appraise the facts, act, and keep the press and public informed; and (para 5.3.3) the person accused should get a fair chance to put forward their version.

6. Balance

press freedom and personal dignity, public interest and privacy, the right to information and the secrecy of an investigation. Tests: is there a public interest? were the facts checked? was the other side heard?

Worked examples (documented, with year)

Romesh Thappar (26 May 1950)

and Shreya Singhal (24 March 2015): the first for freedom of the press to circulate, the second for freedom of expression online.

Conduct Rules 8 and 9.

a direct example of the limits on an officer's own dealings with the media.

Thinkers and quotes box

No question titled "media" was found in the 2018, 2021, 2023 or 2024 Paper II. This count covers all 52 Unit I questions of 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024; it is not RPSC information.

Nearest: the 2018 and 2024 questions on pages 3.3 and 3.4 deal with the relation of power and administration; the media is the third angle of that relation.

Preparation advice: a Part B on "media scrutiny: help or harm", or a Part C on "media and bureaucracy in a liberal society". This is our guess.

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