The media is considered as the watchdog of the democracy as it has the power to create a check on the three official branches of the government- the executive, legislature and the judiciary. It works as a powerful remedy to all kinds of abuse of power by the government by making the people aware of the various steps taken by the government. In a democratic set up the elected representatives are responsible to the people whom they have promised to serve & it is the media only who can help the electorate to make responsible judgments in analysing the conduct of their representatives. The media always tried to provide comprehensive information on all vital issues of the country’s social, economic and political sphere. The democratic credentials of a state are judged by the extent of freedom the press enjoys in that state. This mandate is clearly visible under the Indian Constitution though not explicitly as that of the American Constitution, but impliedly within the purview of Article 19(1)a ensuring freedom of speech & expression. Giving justification for not mentioning freedom of press expressly in the Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution in his speech in the Constituent Assembly Debates have rightly lamented, “Press has no special rights which are not to be given or which are not to be exercised by the citizen in his individual capacity. The Editor of a Press or the Manager is merely exercising the right of the expression, and therefore, no special mention is necessary of the freedom of press.”
