SANDEEP KUMAR | New Delhi | 13 September 2025 | – Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has voiced strong concern over the growing attacks on journalists and media organisations across the country, calling these incidents a direct assault on democracy and freedom of the press.
INS President M. V. Shreyams Kumar said the Society was alerted by member publication Sakshi, based in Andhra Pradesh, that its journalists have faced repeated assaults, vindictive complaints, illegal cases, and raids at both media offices and the editor’s residence.
The incidents target working journalists and staff at Sakshi, but INS emphasises the pattern is not isolated and reflects a broader threat to independent journalism nationwide.
Reports of intimidation and attacks have emerged over recent months in Andhra Pradesh, with implications for press freedom across India.
INS warned that attacks on journalists undermine democratic accountability, stressing that the press is an ally of democracy, not an adversary. “Journalists must be able to carry out their professional responsibilities without fear, intimidation or violence,” the Society said.
INS urged both the Central and State governments to act immediately, bring perpetrators to justice, and provide strong legal safeguards to ensure a safe environment for free and independent reporting.
The Society reaffirmed its pledge to stand with journalists and media institutions facing threats or violence and to advocate for press freedom guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
