GUJARAT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

Media law and national security: A comparative Analysis of India and

U.S.A
[Synopsis]

Karan Patel 1
11A066
SEMESTER IX
SECTION A

Submitted to:
Dr. Joshua Aston
1 Student of B.Com.LLB (Hons.), Semester IX, Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar. Email:
karanp11@gnlu.ac.in

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Faculty of Law, GNLU

I.

Object of the dissertation

The object is to talk over the connection between the government and the media with respect to
obtaining information that may disturb the national security.
The dissertation tries to examine and give an outline of the influence of media on National
Security of a country and also its decision making. The study is conducted with special
reference to connection between media and government of a country especially with regard to
U.S. & India.
The media's role is persuading national and international public view through around-the-clock
reporting of worldwide events has grown immeasurably in today's ever more connected world.
This marvel has led media makers of both television and the Internet to an even greater role in
manipulating high-level national-level decision-making. The media with current communication
technology and straight contact to the front lines has made decision-makers, and the public they
serve, acutely conscious of circumstances accessible in "raw" form in virtually real time with little
or no confirmation or validation against which opinions and choices are rendered. This does not
suggest that choices made are exclusively with the media in mind, but that the media especially if
they are embedded are a potent standard that must be measured when developing a strategy and
maintaining its theme. This dissertation will also mention improvements to the present embedded
media program that may help give the public and national decisions-makers higher quality
information.

Hypothesis

II.

This dissertation proceeds with the hypothesis that issues pertaining to National security in case of
developed and developing countries are different and that in both the case media has a different role
to play.

III.

Research objectives/questions

What is the impact of the media upon national security policy decision making?
What is the influence of democracy over media?
Whether National Security decision making should be influenced by media coverage?

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IV.

Research Methodology

The research methodology in this study is analytical and critical in nature. It is in a descriptive
style and doctrinal.
The author will be relying on both primary as well as secondary sources. The primary sources
would include the Constitution of India, and relevant statutes like the IPC. A mojor part of the
research would be contributed by secondary sources such as books, scholarly articles and online
articles.

V.

Literature Review

In explaining the concept of Constitutional Foundation i.e. the source from where the media derives
its rights is very nicely explained by author Maghavi Gordia Divan in her book Facets of Media
Law. Her contribution is landmark in understanding the constitutional backup through which the
media in India derives their right.

VI.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this paper is to study how media affects national security in developed(U.S.A) and
developing(INDIA) countries and how it is important to control the media in matters of national
security. However, the study would be limited to the extent that an elaborate analysis of all
judicial opinions pertaining to the subject would not be possible in the paper.

VII. Proposed chapterisation

a) Introduction
An overview of the current scenario pertaining to media and national secutity in INDIA
and the U.S.A.
b) Media and national security in U.S.A
This chapter would shed light on constitutional foundation. Also, the author seeks to
delve into the relation media and national security in decision making.
c) Media and national security in India.

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This chapter would mainly focus on national security and indian media plus it will tackle
other topics such as : freedom of press , constitutional perspective plus the issues in
media and national security.

d) Comparative Analysis of India and U.S.A

Focus would be on a comparative analysis of media laws relating national security in
India and U.S.A and how it has evolved in response to the change because of incedents
threatening national security.
e) Proposals for Change
On the basis of the analysis presented in the previous chapters, relevant proposals would
be made regarding that could be incorporated in the current legal postion related to media
and national security
f) Conclusion
A brief overview of the analysis, findings and suggestions of this research study
undertaken by the author.

VIII. Tentative Bibliography

a) Books
Dr. Samir Kumar Singh, Media Legislations and Laws, Jnanada Prakashan (2013)

Michael D. Murray & Rot L. Moore, Media Law and Ethics, Routledge (2010)

Madhavi Gordia Divan, Facets of Media Law, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow.

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