Although freedom of press is an unquestionable right in all democratic countries, some sections of the print and electronic media give priority to sensationalism over news (“Leveson calls for independent regulation of British press,” Nov. 30). Sensationalism, in many instances, triggers violence and enmity between people. One hopes Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendation to set up a genuinely independent regulatory body will be taken in the right spirit by the media in Britain.
P.U. Krishnan,
Udhagamandalam
Lord Leveson’s verdict recommending an independent regulator for the British media is timely and should serve as a wake-up call to the Indian media. Indeed, the attempts by a section of the media, including The Hindu , to regulate itself is barely sufficient in an environment where corporates leverage advertisement revenue and the establishment promotes itself through paid news. Despite their best intentions, even those sections of the media which have thus far remained above board will find themselves tolerating the dubious practices or even adopting them to survive. The need for an independent regulator is increasing in India, and the press should work on coming up with a credible regulator instead of opposing one.
Anand Mohan,
Hyderabad
