Human Rights and Right to Expression in Mass Media in the Present Times

Human rights constitute a precious heritage for the entire mankind for which many battles have been fought and won. Human rights and mass media are complementary to each other. Since the dawn of time, journalism has pushed for the protection and promotion of human rights. It is largely believed that mass media can play a wonderful role in creating widespread awareness in a country like India on issues concerning human rights by exposing its violation and focusing attention on ensuring human rights for all sections of the society. However, today many questions are being raised on the role of mass media in protecting and proliferating human rights. The objective of this article is to understand the prevailing scenario, especially in India and abroad. The aim is to dissect the state of affairs so as to comprehend whether or not the right to freedom of speech and expression is being enjoyed by the masses in the country and the role of mass media in that regard.