Speaking at the International Press Institute (IPI) India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025 event in New Delhi, Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna underlined the importance of financial independence in safeguarding press freedom. She observed that media platforms funded primarily by their readers are better equipped to function without fear or favour compared to outlets reliant on corporate ownership or state support.
Justice Nagarathna emphasised that journalism serves a critical public function and therefore requires meaningful backing from citizens, including through paid subscriptions. According to her, reader-driven revenue models strengthen editorial autonomy and reduce vulnerability to external pressures.
She cautioned that corporate media organisations, even when claiming independence, may still face indirect influence due to business interests or dependence on government advertising and regulatory frameworks. Such economic reliance, she noted, can subtly shape news priorities and editorial decisions.
The judge further remarked that modern challenges to press freedom often arise not from overt censorship, but from regulatory and financial mechanisms that operate within constitutional boundaries. Laws governing licensing, taxation, advertising, and market competition, while legitimate in form, may collectively create conditions that constrain journalistic independence.
Her address reinforced the idea that a free and vibrant press depends not only on constitutional protections but also on financial structures that insulate news organisations from political and commercial pressure.
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