-The Indian Express Raipur: In May 2010, Hindi TV channel Sahara Samay presented a five-point proposal to the public relations department of the Chhattisgarh government about covering government activities during 2010-11: 1. Two-minute special package: Sahara Samay will show the package 15 times a day during news bulletins. It will contain “CM’s speeches, government policies, and special news related to various departments.” Cost: Rs 3.28 crore per year at Rs 3,000 per...

-The Indian Express A free press that is able to operate without fear or favour remains an essential cornerstone of a modern democratic society. It plays a fundamental role as the guardian of public interest. By the same token, when certain deficiencies in its role become apparent, public and political furore is inevitable. So it came to pass in Britain, where public anger emanating from a single action — the hacking...

-The Times of India The government on Friday said that it would not play big brother with regard to the media and hoped that any course correction required would come from the media itself. In a statement on the occasion of National Press Day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and I&B minister Manish Tewari came out support of self-regulation, which was in sharp contrast with Press Council chief Markandey Katju seeking greater regulatory...

-PTI Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said censorship was no answer to irresponsible journalism and favoured self regulation by media. "As a country, we believe in complete independence of the media from external control," Singh said in a message on National Press Day on Friday. "It is true that sometimes irresponsible journalism can have serious consequences for social harmony and public order, which the public authorities have an obligation to maintain, but...

42 families from Birpur village of Satna district in northern Madhya Pradesh are on a protest since the beginning of the month, to draw attention to the siphoning of their PDS foodgrain. Additionally, through an online petition put by a local activist group, the families are demanding that K.K. Khare, Satna’s District Collector use his powers to crack down on the months-long corruption and resume their supply of ration entitlements....