Journalists:- Frontline Workers During The Pandemic

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Media personnel are at risk during natural disasters and are supposed to consider as frontline workers availing them with vaccine drive and insurance benefits.

Personnel from central and state police organizations, civil defense volunteers, military forces, jail staff, revenue officials involved in surveillance, disaster management volunteers, and municipal workers, according to the center, are frontline workers.

Other kinds of personnel, such as government departments of banking, railways, and journalists, are also included as frontline workers in several Union territories and states. The federal government advises states to follow the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, but the health secretary says states can add new categories and are required to administer vaccines procured directly by the state government.

The people of the world are currently witnessing a unique way of media working and activistic activity. Media is the fourth pillar of democracy, acting as a bridge between the people and the government by identifying its flaws. This pandemic prompted many to look between the lines of one of the world’s longest written constitutions.

At this time, the population must share accurate information about current events, problems, and solutions. The media can help us get justice. Although the Supreme Court of India has established a mobile app for journalists to attend virtual hearings, they are not required to come out. In addition, the Supreme Court plans to release Indicative Notes on mobile apps and websites, which will aid in the compilation of judgments. However, fieldwork will be required to connect with citizens and solve problems. As a result, crowd exposure is unavoidable.

Because of the rise in Covid-19 disease across the country, many states have designated journalists as frontline workers, requiring them to get vaccinated first, ahead of others such as doctors, nurses, and police officers. It is critical to do so since fundamental rights apply to all citizens of the country, and media workers are no exception. Photographers, videographers, cameramen, technical workers, and editorial staff are among the frontline media professionals listed.

Frontline workers are those who work day and night to stabilize the situation, and I believe that, while others are battling for their rights, media professionals (newspapers, video, and audio sources) are left behind. Isn’t it true that they have a right to life? Well, the Federation of All India Medical Associations, The Editor Guild of India, The Kerala Union of Working Journalists, and others have addressed this issue, informing Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the inclusion of media professionals as frontline workers, which has received widespread support, including from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Journalists, like other frontline employees, are exposed to the public regularly and “cannot work from home.” They also engage with danger daily to cover public and pandemic concerns.

After the death of Vipin Chand, a 41-year-old visual media journalist in Kochi, the demand has grown even stronger. The Press Council of India had previously issued a statement. Furthermore, working without protection is difficult for them. According to the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign, India is one of the top three countries in the globe where journalists have died as a result of Covid-19.

According to the center’s new vaccine policy, 50% of vaccines are free, while the remaining 50% must be procured on their own. Both Biotech and the Serum Institute have taken a step back in terms of completing the order. To begin, the state governments of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Karnataka, and others declared journalists to be frontline workers and mandated vaccination for all, regardless of age. 

Conclusion:-

The media service is a smooth one that keeps people informed about current events. In addition, the Odisha government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 15 lakh for the families of journalists who died as a result of Covid-19, and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated, “A total of 6,944 working journalists in the state have been covered under the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bhima Yojana.” They would each receive a Rs 2 lakh health insurance policy.”

The journalist union, Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, recently filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition in the Bombay High Court, claiming that twelve states have declared journalists and other media personnel as frontline workers (Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh v State of Maharashtra & Anr.).

The present article has been written by Kiran Israni, 3rd Year Law Student of Baba Saheb Ambedkar College of Law, Nagpur.

The present article has been edited by Shubham Yadav, 4th year Law student of Banasthali Vidyapith.

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