PIL Before Supreme Court Seeks Directions To Consider Journalists And Media Personnels As 'Frontline Workers' And Initiate Priority Vaccination

A PIL has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions to consider Journalists and media personnels as frontline workers and initiate a priority vaccination drive for them immediately. Further, the plea has sought Ex-gratia Compensation to be awarded to kin of of the deceased journalists on death due to Covid.

The plea filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari, has stated that the journalists and media personnel should be considered as frontline workers and their constitutional rights of health and safety should be enforced.

Therefore, an Ex-gratia Compensation of twenty lakhs has been sough to be given to to the next kin of those Journalist and Media personnel who have lost their lives as of COVID19 while remaining active in the Media Coverage during the pandemic in 2020 and in 2021

The petitioner has urged the court to issue directions to have a Specific insurance policy during COVID19 for the Journalist and Media Personnel for safe future of them and their families.

Being from the family of a Journalist, the petitioner has stated that he understands the hardship faced by the them in their profession. According to him, media has played an important role in legal system by coverage of daily hearings before Supreme Court and various High Courts, which helped keep the people informed about the the justice delivery System, its methods and about the Public Interest decisions.

The plea has stated that media personnels, during the pandemic not only kept citizens aware but also operated as a check to the 'mischievous and notorious' activities done by criminal organisations, like hoarding, black- marketing, fake medicines and etc.

The petitioner has contended that both the central and the State government have failed to recognise the act of the journalist and media workers and has failed to distinguish them as front line workers, as no priority vaccination drive has been formulated leading to deaths many.

According to the petitioner, it is the sole responsibility of the central government along with the state governments to recognise the effort and acknowledge the sacrifice of the media community during covid-19. Therefore immediate prioritisation and initiation of vaccination drive for the journalist and media personnel for their health and safety is important and will energise the community.

"Broadcasting of news directly from the spot to make people aware about the present situation is a service of sacrifice and yet the government has not recognised the value of the lives of such unrecognised front workers." the plea reads

While citing Supreme Court's judgement im the case of Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India which 'gave a new dimension to Art. 21' by including within it human dignity and liberty, the petitioner has argued that these media personnels who are working effortlessly to gather information pertaining to the present situation are not under any relief package of the Respondents.

"The freedom and action of press is considered as the fourth pillar of democracy wherein such pillar stands as the foundation of the democratic society. Such information gathered by the journalist through their tireless efforts will enable the people to take informed decisions and be reasonably aware of the situation in our society" the plea reads.