Supreme Court Laments Erosion of Fact-Based, Objective News Reporting

The Supreme Court criticised the present state of news reporting, calling it “unfortunate” and noting that earlier standards of factual accuracy have weakened.

The observation arose while the Court was hearing a case concerning allegations that multi-system operators in Andhra Pradesh stopped TV signal transmission after the 2024 assembly election results.

Courts have repeatedly flagged issues such as “kangaroo courts,” selective leaks, sensationalism, and media trials, including in matters such as the Rujira Banerjee investigation and coverage of the Aarushi Talwar and Sushant Singh Rajput cases.

Prior orders have also stressed anchors’ responsibility in preventing hate speech during televised debates.