Former CJI Sanjiv Khanna highlights that while judicial verdicts impact society, responsible news reporting can influence public opinion, shape perspectives, and change the way people think and behave.
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NEW DELHI: Former Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, stated on Monday that although judicial rulings influence society, news reporting has the power to shape how people think and act.
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Justice Khanna emphasized that judicial verdicts undoubtedly impact society, but it is news reporting that profoundly shapes the way people think and behave. “We underestimate the impact of news,” he remarked. Unlike judgments, news coverage constantly surrounds us, often influencing our subconscious and framing public discourse in ways we might not immediately recognize.
“Judgments do have an impact on society, but news reporting can change the way we think and behave. We underestimate the impact of news. News coverage is not a benign source of facts, but subconsciously meddles with our lives. We may not realise we are constantly simmering in a soup of news,”
Justice Khanna said.
A healthy democracy requires media reporting free from prejudice, bias, and polarization. Justice Khanna highlighted the importance of responsible journalism, reporting that tells the full story, avoids inflaming passions, and includes diverse perspectives without hidden agendas.
“Both when functioning well, speak truth not to provoke, but to preserve and strengthen democracy. After all, a political and social order that works for the people, by the people and of the people necessarily implies robust watchdog institutions,”
he added
In contrast, judges respond to facts on record, interpreting laws with impartiality and without editorializing outside courtrooms. The judiciary must maintain neutrality, avoiding public commentary that could betray its oath to independence. According to Justice Khanna,
“Judges reach balanced conclusions by weighing all sides before speaking through reasoned judgments.”
The legitimacy of both media and judiciary arises from public trust, which is earned through reason, integrity, and impartiality. Bias, misinformation, or loss of independence erodes this trust, resulting in the loss of citizens’ rights. Both professions demand a steadfast commitment to neutrality, fairness, and objectivity.
“Rights are the casualties. Hence, both our professions require steadfast commitment to neutrality, fairness and objectivity,”
Justice Khanna said.
Justice Khanna acknowledged the complexities surrounding freedom of speech today. The digital era has introduced political and executive overreach, digital distortion, and economic vulnerabilities that threaten the quality of discourse. The rise of “yellow journalism” and fast-paced news cycles often diminishes users’ capacity for deep, reflective thinking.
He warned of the growing inability among youth to engage in sustained cognitive reasoning, which hinders the rise of the best ideas. Instead, superficial quotes, emotional reactions, and polarized debates dominate public conversations.
“Look at the TV debates today. No topic is truly safe. We witness flame wars every evening. Acrimonious exchanges online do not result in bridges being built,”
he observed.
Despite their differences, Justice Khanna stressed that the judiciary and media are interdependent in maintaining the health of a democracy. Each must respect the constitutional boundaries and roles assigned to them. While media creates opinion and drives public discourse, the judiciary responds to facts and law with reasoned judgments.
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