Abstract

Media is the main organ and fourth pillar of the democratic government. It plays a role in keeping check and balance of government authorities. Trial by media is the consequence of a trend known as 'Media Activism,' where the media and social media tools are used for various purposes, such as protests and demonstrations to raise public awareness and effect change. It provides an opinion to the public at large; diverts a situation that may be negative or positive. Sometimes it tries to creep in functions of the judiciary. Due to the media's interference judiciary has been taking much time to deliver justice. Suppose the media has unlimited or somewhat uncontrolled freedom in releasing facts about criminal cases. In that case, it affects the thinking of the public a lot leading them to decide on the guilt of the suspicious. A suspect seems like he would have already been proven guilty much before the Court’s trial, and there will be severe prejudice against the suspect. We need a strict step towards professional conduct and provision for media. If we talk about pandemic time, media play a negative role, including covid news or high-profile cases like Tablique Jamat and Sushant Singh. However, it has also distributed awareness regarding vaccination and covid protocol positively. This paper covers the function of the media in our country in the scenario of covid 19. It talks about how effectively or adversely the media handles it. The research paper will address the critical question of how media trial impacts judicial trial during covid or pandemic.

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