India begin with victory in Fed Cup

Privacy must be respected

With reference to the recent breaking off of tennis player Sania Mirzas engagement,the Delhi High Court criticised the way the electronic media covered the development. The right to privacy is very important. The way TV channels aired the stories on the breaking of the engagement of Mirza should be condemned. There was no respect to the sensitivity of the issue, said A P Shah,Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

We,however,are ill-equipped when it comes to issuing guidelines for media coverage. Freedom of information is so important that no straight-jacket formula can be developed to address the problem, said Justice Shah.

The judge noted that a committee must be constituted to delve into the issue and prepare detailed guidelines within the framework of which all media organisations,TV as well print,must work so that there would be a balance between freedom of press and right to privacy of an individual.