SC Justice Nagarathna Highlights Economic Constraints on Press Freedom in India

Supreme Court Justice B V Nagarathna highlighted concerns over press freedom in India during the IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2025. She noted that while media outlets are legally free to criticize the government under Article 19(1)(a), economic constraints stemming from state regulations under Article 19(1)(g) can indirectly limit editorial independence. Justice Nagarathna emphasized that ownership rules, licensing, advertising policies, taxation, and antitrust laws may influence the press without direct censorship, posing significant challenges to media freedom in practice.