Contract system curbs journalistic freedom: Justice Katju

Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju on Wednesday lashed out at the contract employment system for journalists, saying it amounted to "exploitation" by the media barons.

"Contract employment system is becoming widespread. It exploits journalists in the absence of job security. It is not acceptable because it does not permit journalists to perform their duty with a free mind," he said, during an interaction organised by Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh here.

He lamented "commercialisation" of the newspaper industry and said the owners should be aware of social responsibility. "You can make money but it should be coupled with social responsibility. Media barons should be socially responsible," he said, noting that working journalists were facing a hard time due to low wages.

"Contract employment system is a bad thing. Job security is necessary to work freely. It is like the Damocles's sword hanging over the heads of journalists," he said, adding it should be studied whether it amounted to violation of freedom of the press.

The former Supreme Court judge also castigated the reported "media management" in Bihar, and alleged threats to journalists who wrote against the Nitish Kumar government.

"If it is true, we will not allow this government to run as it constitutes violation of freedom of the press," he said.

Expressing concern over attacks on journalists in Maharashtra, he said it was "totally unacceptable". He also called for speedy investigation in journalist J Dey murder case.

In reply to a question, he said the contempt of court law enacted during the British rule should be amended, as in a democracy, the people are supreme and "it is not a feudal age".

He also called for regulating social networking sites and "filtering" of content without blocking them.