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The Role of Media in Creating Awareness on Human Rights

Speech by Justice C. K. Prasad,

Chairman Press Council of India*

Hon'ble Mr Justice H.L. Dattu, Chairperson, National Human Rights

Commission, and former Chief Justice of India, distinguished members, noble
man from the media, Civil Society, Awardees, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I deem it my privilege to join you all in commemorating the Silver

Jubilee Year of the National Human Rights Commission of India, an institution
committed to protect and uphold rights of all humans. Its efforts and
contributions in educating people, spreading and enforcing human rights
education throughout the Country is a matter of satisfaction for all of us.

When the Hon'ble Chairperson of the Commission Justice Dattu invited

me for today's inaugural function, I accepted the same, as I was very eager to
interact and meet the Human Rights experts and the young men and women
committed to the cause of Human Rights.

Most Societies accept the philosophy of "Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you." Being respectful to others and treating them with
dignity is the core of humanity. Therefore, every individual by virtue of his/her
being is entitled to certain rights, popularly termed as ‘Human Rights'. Treating
everyone with reverence and respecting each other's choices are essential for
healthy living. These finds mention in the Vedas, the Babylonian Code of
Hammurabi, the Bible, the Quran, and the Analects of Confucius, , are five of
the oldest written sources that address the questions of people's duties, rights,
and responsibilities. The equation between human rights and mass media is
symbiotic. In India, the freedom of press flows from the rights to freedom of
expression to citizens. Hence, it is the responsibility of the Media to ensure that
everyone in the society enjoys the privilege of human rights. It is better if the
duties, rights and responsibilities of human being form part of school
curriculum as in my opinion unless a society is aware of what is happening to it
and its members, the question of protecting or promoting the rights does not
emerge. Hence, it is in fulfilling this function the existence of the media is
essential.

In India, the press has played a critical role in educating and illuminating
the masses about their rights that gave them the reason to stand against such
violations. One cannot forget that the origin of press in India itself lay in
challenging the denial of rights. Hicky's Bengal Gazette was published in 1780
to challenge the autocratic rule of the British East India Company. Even Social

Speech delivered at Silver Jubilee Programme of the National Human Rights Commission
of India held on September 5, 2018 at IIMC, Delhi.
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reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Dayanand
Saraswati, made a massive use of mass media in the 19th century to create mass
awareness and brought significant changes in the sphere of education and social
legislation for the improvement of the position of the women in India. Another,
significant contribution of mass media in social upliftment of women is
education of girl child, – ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign is an ongoing
movement ably performed by the media. The Gandhian era and post,
independence period have brought about significant changes in the status and
position of women and other vulnerable class in India, which would not have
happened without the use of mass media.

With time, the contribution of mass media has not only been restricted to
changing the mindset and the entrenched attitude of the people towards women
but also towards other disadvantaged groups in the society, such as, persons
with disabilities, transgender, elderly people, the refugees, etc. It has acted
strongly in shaping the ideas, public opinion and as an instrument of social
change in eradication of social disabilities like illiteracy, pardah, child marriage,
child labour, female infanticides, human scavenging and many more. It has also
played an active role in reporting and covering the sufferings and agonies of the
natives of the conflict, affected areas, flooded and famine affected regions, the
plights of the farmers on loss of their cultivation, each time media has made an
active and immediate effort by highlighting those giving rise to financial and
other possible relief to reach the afflicted population. It has acted diligently in
bridging the gap between the citizens and the Government by helping them to
reach one another in time of need. Mass media, coupled with the agencies and
organizations working in the areas of human rights, have facilitated the
implementation of human rights in India.

Ladies and Gentlemen, media is the eyes and ears of any democratic
society and its existence is vital to the smooth functioning of democracy. It
guards the public interest and acts as voice of the voiceless. Media mostly has
helped propagate an informed opinion about human rights. In order to perform
its role in creating mass awareness on human rights, media personnel
themselves also need to be fully conversant with the various aspects of human
rights issues. It is important that the media people arm themselves with the
necessary information and then present the facts and analysis in public. It could
be best expected from the media is to make every citizen aware and conscious
about their rights, which in turn will enable public to recognize violation of
human rights, when they come across any such incidence in daily life.

Many of you are public communicators and wear hats of an activist and
journalists together. What are Human Rights, perhaps many of us know, but
what we do not know many times is its violation. It is Media which not only

Speech delivered at Silver Jubilee Programme of the National Human Rights Commission
of India held on September 5, 2018 at IIMC, Delhi.
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create awareness about Human rights but brings it to the forefront in case of its
violation. Communication is complete and useful only when a communicator is
able to convey the intended message to its receiver in a way that he fully
understands and identifies the message delivered and find itself emotionally
involved and then responds appropriately. In other words, when the
communicator can strike a deep impact on the minds of its receivers, only then,
an effective communication takes place. In case of violation of human rights
these qualities are needed by the media more. Human rights can be meaningful
so long as the remedies are provided when someone is wronged. The poor
labourers, the marginal farmers, and deprived sections of the societies are the
most vulnerable class, whose Human Rights are violated day in and out, not
necessarily by the State but by fellow human being. It the media who defends
their rights by bringing the violation in public domain. The flagrant violation of
the Human Rights of young women and children at the Shelter Homes at
Muzzafarpur and Deoria (U.P.) would not have come to the notice of the
country, had the mass media not written about it.

With the advent of technology in the world of mass communication,

media has become more powerful than ever and rightly claimed to be the fourth
estate of the democracy. With this massive power and infrastructure to reach
people within seconds, its responsibilities and duties towards the society have
also augmented. Few basic tenets that media needs to abide by in narrating any
incidence in public would be, to tell the truth not hide, no half, baked news and
do not be the mouthpiece of any interest group or individuals and most
importantly do your bit in creating an atmosphere congenial to communal
harmony, amity and peace. Not to mention that if this power not used
judiciously may result in a massive violation of human rights too. Such cases
have happened in past, the sensational and provocative headlines and the
graphic representations of the violence during the communal carnage have
aggravated the tensions between the religious communities instead of mitigating
it. Several times, militant groups have also misused media to propagate their
unlawful agendas in public, one such incidence took place when the Taliban in
Afghanistan went to the extent of burning the dead bodies and mutilate them in
order to get better coverage. Hence, while operating, such a powerful machinery
of mass communication, the journalists and the editors being its gatekeepers
need to act cautiously, sensibly and report an issue with sheer objectivity
without jumping to a premature conclusion.

One significant violation, which has gone unnoticed in this country, is the
violation of human rights of members of mass media itself. Do you know how
they maintain themselves and their family? The provisions of the Working
Journalist Act is followed more in breach than obedience and therefore, it is
also important to remind ourselves that even the media personnel are human

Speech delivered at Silver Jubilee Programme of the National Human Rights Commission
of India held on September 5, 2018 at IIMC, Delhi.
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beings too; hence, protecting, safeguarding and revering their human rights are
equally important.

With this, I conclude by quoting John F. Kennedy who once said that
"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are
threatened." Media being the mediator and leader of the people in championing
the cause of human rights, its workforce, the journalists are the focal point. Are
they adequately armoured with the tools and devices to guard themselves
against the vested groups or act fearlessly even in a life, threatening situation? if
not that directly jeopardizes their basic right to life. It is time that we need to
consider this too.

Thank you.

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Speech delivered at Silver Jubilee Programme of the National Human Rights Commission
of India held on September 5, 2018 at IIMC, Delhi.