The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC in collaboration with the Indian Law Institute, ILI organised a day-long workshop for media persons on 'Media and Human Rights: Issues and Challenges' at ILI, New Delhi on the 12th March, 2016. Shri S.C. Sinha, Member, NHRC, inaugurating the programme said that the Commission recognizes the media as a valuable ally. He said that there had been several instances wherein the media acted as an agent for constructive change and notable developments within human rights jurisprudence. Describing journalists and other associated with media as human rights defenders, he said that attacks on them by vested interests are condemnable for not only do they weaken the freedom of the media but also democratic processes.
Shri Sinha said that media is very powerful but 'with great power comes great responsibilities' also. Holding media trials as very anti-thesis to the rule of law, he said that these might lead to a gross miscarriage of justice, which is a matter of urgent concern and required to be pondered over by the media in earnest. In this context, he quoted a key recommendation in the 200 th report of the Law Commission which emphasized on the need for the training of journalists on certain aspects of law relating to freedom of speech in Article 19 (1) (a) and Article 19 (2) of the Constitution.
Shri Sinha observed that in recent times, mainstream media remained fixated with the issues of urban elites and middles classes and often failed to reflect some of the
pressing challenges confronting a large section of society including, among others, Dalits, Adivasis, women, rural poor, urban poor and workers in the unorganized sector. He lauded the role of the vernacular media for continuing to highlight important human rights issues from the forgotten regions of the country.
Earlier, Dr. Manoj Kumar Sinha, Director, ILI said that the first case registered by the NHRC on the basis of a media report signifies the importance it can play for the promotion and protection of human rights. Dr. Ranjit Singh, Joint Secretary, NHRC drew on the significance of the NHRC's collaboration with the ILI in organising special programmes, such as this workshop, for building awareness.
The workshop, divided into four thematic sessions, was addressed by Shri Jaimini Kumar Srivastava, Dy. Director (M&C), NHRC Shri Sudhanshu Ranjan, Senior Journalist, Doordarshan, Shri Shashank Shekhar, Member, Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Prof. Pushpesh K. Pant, Dean, Northcap University, Gurgaon on 'Protection of Human Rights Act, NHRC & Role of Media', 'Human Rights Violations: Identifications & Reporting of Critical Concerns and Challenges', 'Media's Role in Championing Child Rights' and ' Gender Concerns: Role of Media in Facilitating Justice for Victims' respectively. The participants included media persons, officers working for media communication in the Centre and State Governments and the students of law.