Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has on Sunday said that freedom of the media was an essential factor in a democracy, and that it was up to the media to act responsibly rather than have restrictions imposed upon them.
Reacting to a query on whether he agreed with KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala's statement on Saturday that restrictions had to be imposed on the electronic visual media, Mr. Chandy said the media was seen as an inspirational force that pointed out flaws and corrected them.
However, there was a common feeling in the society that the media should not misuse its freedom and powers and hence, it was up to the media themselves to note this and act accordingly, he said.
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Mr. Chennithala, speaking at a function near Haripad on Saturday, had come down heavily on the electronic visual media, stating that certain electronic media houses were stretching the limits of journalism in the name of freedom of the press, and that it was high time restrictions were imposed on such media. Stating that there was no unlimited freedom in any democracy, the KPCC chief said the situation was such that anchors in some news channels could say anything about anyone and get away with it without being questioned. The visual media, like the print media, therefore should be brought under the purview of the Press Council of India, he said.