10. National Security and the Role of Media in India

The subject of national security has branched out so much into public domain that gradually the security of the citizens is becoming synonymous with the security of the country and its territory. Now things like ideology, political system, society, and its people occupy centre-stage in scheme of things. Increasingly, both government and citizens are being considered as two important constituents of national security. Fundamental goals of a democratic society like liberty, equality in all spheres, societal identity, economic development, and a free media have all come to be included under the umbrella of national security. These developments have paved the way for an independent media to play a much larger role in the arena of national security in a liberal democracy. The chapter emphasises that though the world has devised many means and methods of safeguarding national security, a free media is still the only guarantee for free speech, and it alone can provide a platform for a meaningful interface between the government and the citizens about national security.