This would not be possible in India easily. But the story of a US newspaper taking on the government is a gripping one to watch. Old hands Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep do a great job of acting the parts of the editor and owner of the Washington Post, considered a local paper and an also-ran compared to biggies like NY Times. They end up exposing the misdeeds of several governments, including the the Nixon govt. of their time, on the Vietnam war.
I do remember the crusading coverage of the Emergency in India by the Indian Express in the seventies, but such coverage has been rare since then. The freedom of the press also needs the firm backing of the judiciary, as the film seems to say. Checks and balances are what makes democracy superior to autocracy and other forms of government. The powers that be always have a justification for their actions, but someone is needed to bring in perspective. I am also reading a book on the subject called the Lies of The Land, about lying by various governments, the British and others.
The press is definitely needed to play its rightful role in maintaining the balance.
I do remember the crusading coverage of the Emergency in India by the Indian Express in the seventies, but such coverage has been rare since then. The freedom of the press also needs the firm backing of the judiciary, as the film seems to say. Checks and balances are what makes democracy superior to autocracy and other forms of government. The powers that be always have a justification for their actions, but someone is needed to bring in perspective. I am also reading a book on the subject called the Lies of The Land, about lying by various governments, the British and others.
The press is definitely needed to play its rightful role in maintaining the balance.
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