TRIAL BY MEDIA : A WAR ON DEMOCRACY AND RIGHTS

AUTHOR – RAHUMATH, STUDENT AT AMITY UNIVERSITY NOIDA, LLM STUDENT

BEST CITATION – RAHUMATH, TRIAL BY MEDIA : A WAR ON DEMOCRACY AND RIGHTS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (2) OF 2024, PG. 1512-1516, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

INTRODUCTION

Media has always been considered the watchdog of the society. Every system of government must have a free and fair media. In a huge and diverse democracy like India, it is critical that the media operates free of bias and prejudice, as the media also serves as the Opposition. The media is essentially the backbone of Indian democracy. The origins of media can be traced back to the Indian Nationalist Movement. Since those times, the media has played an important role in ensuring citizens’ rights and liberties. Aside from these crucial duties, the media has evolved into a much-needed agent of change in society. Over the years, the media has played an important role in shaping public opinion. However, in recent years, the media has stepped outside its purview and into the sphere of the judiciary, conducting parallel trials with the courts. The media has taken up the function of a public court that does not recognise the concepts of “innocent until proven guilty” and “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” Media trials typically begin even before the courts can hear the case, in which the media investigates the topic on its own and broadcasts it in such a way that the public creates an opinion against or for the accused prior to the real trial. These acts have a negative impact on the actual trial, resulting in an infringement of the accused’s right to a fair trial. Although the media has been praised for raising awareness over the last decade, they have also been chastised for their excessive coverage of certain issues, particularly those involving famous figures.