AGE OF BANS ON MEDIA IS OVER, SAYS ARUN JAITLEY

NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said the “age of bans” on the media is over, maintaining it was “literally” difficult to implement them.

“Many believe, and I am one of those who do believe, that the age of bans is now over. It is literally impossible if not very difficult to implement them,” he said, delivering the Sardar Patel memorial lecture organised by Prasar Bharati.

Jaitley, speaking on the topic ‘Is it possible to impose reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression given today’s media landscape’, cautioned while print media and, to a large extent electronic media, adopt discretion in their content, social media lacked such a mechanism.

And though the new medium empowered citizens, there was also a large amount of false and damaging content on it. But in such a scenario “should the state step in? As far as possible, no,” Jaitley said.

He pointed out that the freedom of speech and expression, as defined in the Constitution, is subject to reasonable restrictions. “In a society where because of multi-religious, multi-cultural reasons there are sensitivities, what do we do if somebody crosses the Lakshman Rekha? What would the Indian society have done if instead of the Danish cartoonist, it would have been an Indian?” he asked.

He said there is now a difference between actual news and channel-driven news. “As the marketeers of news express their right to free speech, the viewer or the reader’s right to information and knowledge is also getting impacted,” he said. HTC

Many believe, and I am one of those who do believe, that the age of bans is now over. It is literally impossible if not very difficult to implement them.

ARUN JAITLEY, information and broadcasting minister