Press Freedom Is Democracy's Highest Value, Right to Question Is Key to Rule of Law: DY Chandrachud

Former Chief Justice of India Dr DY Chandrachud today said Freedom of the Press and the Right to Question are the highest values in a democratic society but cautioned that they have to be practised with responsibility.

"Press freedom is the highest value in a democratic society. No democracy can exist in the absence of a free and absolutely free press," he said while inaugurating the new studio of "Dynamite News".

Chandrachud was the 50th Chief Justice of India who delivered several landmark judgments during his tenure.

"There should be press freedom, but it doesn't mean there should be press unfreedom. When the press doesn't fulfil its responsibility, then it becomes press unfreedom", he said, adding that freedom should not be abused.

"The Right to Question is at the heart of the rule of law in any democratic governance, and the Constitution guarantees that right to question," Chandrachud said when asked what would be his advice to young journalists who want to question strong institutions while being accurate and ethical.

Dynamite News has set up a state-of-the-art studio with 24x7 live streaming of news and views in multiple languages. "We have started News and Views of relevance to the common citizens, including youth especially Gen Z, with the help of modern technology and AI," Manoj Tibrewal Aakash, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Dynamite News, said.

On the challenges of fake news, Chandrachud advised young journalists first to differentiate between facts and fake news before disseminating news. "You should not compromise on the facts for the sake of eyeballs."