A Bengaluru-based journalist’s defiance against a police notice to reveal his sources has reignited an old debate: on balancing journalistic privilege in public interest.
G Mahantesh, journalist and founder of the Kannada news website File, had written a follow-up report after a series – exposing a teachers recruitment scam in Karnataka – on his website in November last year. The series had led to the arrest of 60 persons by the Karnataka Criminal Department. And the follow-up report pointed out that an official, who was among those arrested, was about to be reinstated to his position along with two others. A note to this effect was issued by the Public Instruction Department, and the File published a copy of the same.
