New Delhi, Jul 15 Former chief justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday said press freedom holds the highest value in a democratic society and the right to question lies at the heart of the rule of law.
Addressing the inauguration of a new studio of the digital news platform 'Dynamite News' in the national capital, Chandrachud said no democracy could exist without a free press.
"Press freedom is the highest value in a democratic society. No democracy can exist in the absence of a free and absolutely free press,” he said.
He, however, underscored that freedom carried responsibility.
"There should be press freedom, but it doesn't mean there should be press unfreedom. When the press doesn't fulfil its responsibility, then it becomes press unfreedom," Chandrachud said.
Responding to a question on his advice to young journalists seeking to hold powerful institutions accountable while maintaining accuracy and ethics, the former CJI said the right to question was central to democratic governance.
"The right to question is at the heart of the rule of law in any democratic governance, and the Constitution guarantees that right to question," he said.
On the growing challenge of fake news, Chandrachud urged journalists to verify facts before publishing reports and not to compromise accuracy in pursuit of higher viewership.
"You should not compromise on the facts for the sake of eyeballs," he said.
Dynamite News founder and editor-in-chief Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said the organisation has launched a state-of-the-art studio with round-the-clock live streaming of news and views in multiple languages.
He said the platform aimed to provide news and analysis relevant to common citizens, particularly the younger generation, by leveraging modern technology and artificial intelligence.
