Medias Influence on Governance and Accountability

MĀRGA

MĀRGA – Media And its Role in Governance and Accountability is an initiative by DAKSH which examines the role of the media in governance and accountability, especially in the justice system, and explores avenues to deepen democracy through strengthening the role played by the media.

The idea of MĀRGA arose from a realization that the standard of reporting by the media on the justice system has a direct bearing on the public’s trust in this system. This further affects the manner in which the public engages with law enforcement and courts. We aim to encourage legal reporting that is accurate, ethical and easy to understand. We believe the media is a close associate of the justice system and the principle of open courts requires the media to report on legal issues in a fair and simple manner.

We intend to achieve this through consultations with all the stakeholders, advocacy, sensitisation/awareness campaigns, training, curriculum design, research publications, round tables, conferences

Legal Reporting Education

We conduct and design workshops on ethical legal reporting for students and young professionals interested in journalism. We are developing courses and resources with the aim of improving the quality of legal reporting.

Research

We undertake research on how to improve the standards of legal reporting. This includes analysis of existing standards for accuracy, legal and self imposed. We study the concerns of the reporters, the structure within which they function and their interaction with the various components of the justice system. Click here to read our reports.

Resources

We are actively building a community of reporters, editors, industry leaders, researchers, legal practitioners, law enforcement officers and judicial officers who want to solve the problem of inaccurate legal reporting. With their help, we are creating a repository of resources that will help reporters understand the nuances of the justice system while reporting on it.

INITIATIVES AS PART OF MĀRGA

We regularly conduct conferences, talks and roundtable discussions to engage different stakeholders and brainstorm on media accountability and emerging ethical concerns. Check out our latest events below.

DAKSH under its initiative MĀRGA (Media And its Role in Governance and Accountability), in collaboration with independent news agency, The Probe released a report on ‘Ethics and Norms on Police-Media Communication: Interactions within the Justice System and their impact on Public Perception’

View Report Here

DAKSH announced the launch of MĀRGA on Republic Day, 2021 through an inaugural discussion on the media’s relationship with the law and justice system. The panellists for the discussion were Hon’ble Justice Rajiv Shakdher, Hon’ble Justice Gautam Patel, Apruva Vishwanath, and Harish Narasappa, with Surya Prakash B.S. as the moderator.

DAKSH organised a webinar focussed on media coverage of law enforcement agencies and interaction between the two institutions on 26 February 2021. The webinar discussed how the relationship between these institutions has evolved and how they can develop mutual respect while advancing the fair administration of justice.

DAKSH organised a discussion titled ‘Over the Top: Rules for digital media’ at the Bangalore International Centre on 19 March 2021. The speakers discussed the recently notified Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to regulate digital content. They discussed the need for and nature of these regulations. The focus was on whether these reforms align the benefits of social media platforms with the welfare of citizens, while protecting the right to free speech and expression.

DAKSH organised a webinar titled “From Scandal to Narrative: Investigative Stories on the Justice System”. The panellists discussed the role of investigative reporting in highlighting systemic issues of state capacity, under-funding, lack of training and resource allocation.

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Access to Justice Survey
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Statistics and Reports
Statistics and Reports