Role Of Media In Electoral Democracy
- IJLLR Journal
- Jun 28, 2022
- 1 min read
Priyanjali Bharti, HPNLU, Shimla
ABSTRACT
In India, freedom of press is guaranteed under article 19(1)(a) of the Indian constitution. Freedom of press lies at the foundation of all democratic organisations. Media is source of information for the public. In an electoral process media needs to perform these three functions like debate discussion, providing information about the election process and analysis of election process.
There are various methods by which the conduct of media during election can be regulated. Apart from self regulation by the media houses, it is the responsibility of Election Commission to keep a check on the activities of media. Also, there are laws like the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, and Cable Television Network (Regulation) Rules, 1994 which contain provisions for regulating the conduct of media during elections in India. The Supreme Court has time and again emphasized the importance of freedom of press as it resides at the foundation of all democratic organizations.
The primary role of media is to work for the betterment of democracy by serving the public interest. Therefore, in the present times, for media to perform its duty in true sense it needs to strike a balance between consumerism and demands of citizens.
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