N Ram urges legal reforms to strengthen press freedom

Veteran journalist N Ram has called for urgent legal reforms to protect and strengthen press freedom in India, saying outdated and repressive laws continue to threaten journalists and media outlets.
Delivering the M P Veerendrakumar Commemoration Speech organised by the leading media group Mathrubhumi here on Wednesday, Ram, former Editor of The Hindu, said it is self-evident that journalism, as a democratic craft, requires the widest freedom and space to flourish.
According to him, while Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression, this right often faces challenges due to restrictive laws still in force. Citing the presence of several problematic laws still on the books, Ram said these include criminal defamation, contempt of court, sedition laws, and parts of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Official Secrets Act.
“Media freedom in India is considered incomplete because the print media and the broadcast media have not been placed on an equal constitutional and legal footing. The higher courts have not judged it necessary to confer effective Article 19(1)(a) protection on radio and television,” he said.
“There is a strong case for re-visiting our laws relating to the press and the news media, repealing or amending the outdated and illiberal provisions, and strengthening media freedom through legal reform and constitutional amendment, as needed,” Ram added.
He also warned that press freedom in India is under serious threat, citing rising violence, legal harassment, and a deeply polarised political climate.
The veteran journalist said the growing hostility towards independent journalism is a matter of grave concern and called for urgent legal and institutional reforms.
Ram pointed to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which ranks India 151st out of 180 countries, as evidence of the worsening situation.
“The Index ranks India 151st from the bottom among the 180 countries and territories that figure in the assessment, which means that more than 80 per cent of them rank above India,” he said.
The M P Veerendra Kumar National Thought Leadership Award, instituted by Mathrubhumi in memory of its former Chairman and Managing Director, was presented to Panduranga Hegde, founder of the Appiko Movement, at the function.
Environmental and water conservation activist Rajendra Singh presented the award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a citation, and a plaque.
Hegde announced that he is dedicating both the award and the prize money to environmental conservation efforts and activists.
The award ceremony was held during the memorial event organised by Mathrubhumi on the fifth death anniversary of Veerendra Kumar, a renowned orator and writer who raised early warnings about disasters caused by environmental ignorance, at Tali Kandamkulam Mohammed Abdurahiman Sahib Memorial Jubilee Hall.
Mathrubhumi Chairman and Managing Editor P V Chandran presided over the function. Managing Director M V Shreyams Kumar delivered the introductory address.
M S Devika, Director of Operations, read the citation. M S Mayura, Director of Digital Business, welcomed the gathering, and P V Nidheesh, Joint Managing Editor, delivered the vote of thanks.