Ex-CJI Chandrachud: Journalist's work not just informs, it fortifies foundation of democracy

"A journalist's work does not just inform; it fortifies the very foundation of democracy," former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said on Wednesday.

- BS REPORTER

A journalist's quest to uncover truths and retain people's attention at a time when attention itself has become "a new intellectual property", with too many seekers, is all the more important today, when the landscape of information consumption has changed, he said in his keynote address at the 25th Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2024. The award is given each year to journalists Standard under 30.

Business Delving into the subject of Journalism as the mainstay of democracy', the former CJI said, "Without journalists, society and their members are relegated to an inferior state of awareness and intellect." This is, however, a challenging time for news media, and "journalism's ability to balance truth with attention, ethics with urgency, and integrity with commerce is what will determine the future of democratic discourse," he said. Describing journalists as one of the oldest content creators, since their jobs often do not stop at collecting facts and publishing them Chandrachud said, raw, "Journalists engage in drawing linkages between facts and subjective perception. They interpret facts from historical and economic perspectives." This is a critical exercise because "the synthesis of raw facts with journalistic interpretation is a quest to uncover truths. The quality of our truths defines the health of our democracy".