JOURNALISTIC DEVIANCE AS ELITE DEVIANCE: A SOCIO-LEGAL STUDY OF MEDIA MISCONDUCT IN INDIA
ABSTRACT:
The media is often called the fourth pillar of democracy due to its role in ensuring transparency by helping people to know the truth, creating public awareness, and watches the activities of the government and powerful people. But nowadays journalism in India has changed a lot by making news for monetary benefit, influence of political parties, digital media, and competition for more viewers and popularity. Many media channels now focus on sensational news, paid news, fake news, media trials, privacy violations, and selective reporting. These activities affect journalistic ethics and also create problems for democracy, constitutional values, and in administration of justice.
This research study analyses journalistic deviance as one of the type of elite class deviance where the powerful media organizations misuse their authority for monetary or any other benefit by influencing the opinion of the public by their news without taking proper responsibility. It also covers the constitutional rights of an individuals like right to privacy and right to fair trial affected by the unethical actions of media institutions.
By exploring the constitutional and legislative framework that governs journalism in India, this paper studies the balance between freedom of expression and media accountability. The study analyzes the growing problems that affects journalism in both traditional and modern media like media trials, fake news, and unethical reporting to emphasize the tension between press freedom and responsible journalism. At last, the study examines new technological problems affecting media practices in India.
