Overview

• Justice Khanna said news reporting can actively shape public thinking and behaviour, in contrast to the judiciary’s fact‐driven role.
• He described the press and the judiciary as complementary sentinels of democracy that check executive and legislative excesses.
• The former CJI cautioned against “new avatars of yellow journalism” and linked social media’s fast‐paced news cycles to a decline in deep cognitive reasoning.
• Khanna urged media outlets to uphold accuracy, fairness and neutrality to maintain public trust and avoid bias or polarisation.
• He questioned whether free speech has become more inclusive 75 years after independence and highlighted challenges from political overreach, digital distortion and economic pressures.