Miffed's Scribblings

Today at a time when free speech and independent thinking are disappearing in India, certain media persons face hate, insult and repeated often daily death threats. Despite the traumas they continue to fight back. In 2011, the United Nations named journalism as one of the most dangerous professions in the world. Since 1992, 47 journalists have been killed in India alone, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organisation that campaigns for the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal. The alarming frequency with which journalists are being attacked gives rise to a number of disturbing questions. Why do attackers —politically motivated or otherwise —believe they can get away with attacking journalists? One reason could be the absence of a deterrent and a lackadaisical justice system.  According to international non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists, not a single journalist’s murder in India had been solved over...

Introduced by the United Nations General Assembly, World Press Freedom Day is annually celebrated on May 3rd every year. This day celebrates the importance of freedom of the press and raises awareness for the same. The agenda of this day is to remind the government to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression which is represented under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the year 1991, an African journalist devised a principle that is universally called the Windhoek Declaration. It is a statement of press freedom that includes the flexibility of a press release. This principle states that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published material should be considered a right to be exercised freely. This declaration is a call for the government to strengthen press freedom and ensure the safety of the journalist during their work hours. World Press Freedom Day was announced of...