Framing the Media: Government Policies, Law, and Freedom of the Press in India

The Orient BlackSwan ‘Policy Studies’ series is designed to address, investigate and analyse public policy in the field of governance. Considered the ‘fourth pillar of democracy’, news media is shaped by many stakeholders, including journalists, business owners, the State and, of course, the public. Caught between powerful competing interests, can the media truly function as an independent institution? Taking Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, as its starting point, Framing the Media assesses the impact of legislation and public policy on press freedom in India. Moving from the colonial era to the present day, the book covers critical developments: the Press Commissions in the 1950s–1970s; the Emergency of 1975–1977; economic liberalisation and the consolidation of media monopolies; and legislation on internet-based media, including the IT Rules, 2021. This concise volume is essential reading for anyone interested in how negotiations among citizens, the State, and news workers have shaped the media in India.