Press Freedom
Context:
Supreme Court Judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna, while addressing the International Press Institute (IPI) - India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025, highlighted the precarious nature of press freedom in an era of corporate consolidation.
She cautioned that while media outlets may be legally free to criticise the government, they often remain "economically constrained" in ways that make such criticism unsustainable
Constitutional Protection & Vulnerability:
Justice Nagarathna noted that the media in India is protected under two distinct constitutional provisions:
Article 19(1)(a) which guarantees freedom of speech and expression
Article 19(1)(g) which protects the right to practice any profession, occupation, trade, or business.
This dual status creates a unique vulnerability.
The most serious threats to press freedom are likely to arise not from direct censorship under Article 19(2), but from regulations justified under Article 19(6).
Article 19(6) allows the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the right to carry on trade or business in the interest of the general public.
The State can influence editorial independence through economic regulations, such as ownership rules, licensing laws, advertising policies, taxation, and antitrust laws.