‘From watchdog to guidedog’: Law prof traces changing face of media

He added that he believes the press plays a very important role in the dissemination of information to the public and serves the purpose of facilitating discourse on a range of issues.

Launching his book Press Law and Journalists Watchdog to Guidedog at the Constitution Club Saturday, Dr S Sivakumar, an eminent professor at the Indian Law Institute, said, “I have seen that journalists have been working with a sense of responsibility towards society. The various aspects that the press touch upon, be it Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and various other areas has led me to coin a new term for the press – Guidedog.”

He added that he believes the press plays a very important role in the dissemination of information to the public and serves the purpose of facilitating discourse on a range of issues.

At the event, Justice Anil R Dave, a Supreme Court judge, stated that the book offers an enlightening perspective on the role of the media in modern society.

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He added that the book is a great compilation of cases that discuss the ethical role that journalists have to play. The book’s foreword is written by former Chief Justice H L Dattu. He states, “The role of an active press has become more challenging with the increasing complexities in the operation of a successful modern democracy. The response of the press to such developments in this democratic scenario is instrumental in the efficient functioning of a democracy, for it is highly instrumental in shaping public opinion.”

The event was co-chaired by Justice K G Balakrishnan (Former Chief Justice of India), Justice CK Prasad (Chairman of the Press Council of India). Raj Chengappa (President of the Editors Guild) and Justice Arijit Pasayat (former judge, Supreme Court).

The book, which took Dr Sivakumar 10 years to complete, critically examines the role of the press in contemporary society and presents a theoretical justification for the protection of free speech.

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