The press, often called the Fourth Estate, is the eyes and ears for the citizens of a democratic country. And, amidst rising misinformation in the age of AI, safeguarding the sector’s credibility is crucial, opined various speakers at an event organised yesterday in New Delhi to celebrate the National Press Day in India.

Setting the tone for the event — themed ‘Safeguarding Press Credibility Amidst Rising Misinformation’ — the print media watchdog Press Council of India (PCI) Chairperson Justice (retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai observed that “AI can never replace the human mind” and that the “judgement, conscience and sense of responsibility”, which guides every journalist, must prevent the spread of misinformation.

Highlighting the PCI’s dual responsibility of protecting media freedom and maintaining high journalistic standards, she said journalism needs honesty, accuracy and a commitment to share correct information, especially now when misinformation and misuse of technology are increasing.

She mentioned that the Council has created committees and fact-finding teams and reminded journalists to act responsibly and verify facts before putting them out in public domain. She also stressed the importance of financial security for journalists through welfare schemes and insurance, and said PCI’s internship programmes help young journalists learn ethical practices.

She added that while AI can be useful, the watchdog stays alert to prevent its misuse. While making it clear she has more faith in a human’s capabilities, she emphasized that however advanced these tools may become, they can never replace the human mind — the judgement and conscience.

The event was also attended by Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, his Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L. Murugan, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju and PCI secretary Shubha Gupta, amongst others.

In his keynote address,  news wire agency Press Trust of India (PTI) CEO Vijay Joshi proposed his solution to combat the infodemic by saying, “Let accuracy take over speed in traditional media and AI algorithm-led engagements in digital media”.

Joshi observed the press must uphold strong ethics as the moral watchdog of democracy, but warned that paid news, advertorials and yellow journalism have damaged public trust. Digital disruption now prioritises engagement over accuracy, creating biased information bubbles. The pandemic showed how quickly truth and misinformation can mix, a danger that has worsened by AI.

He also highlighted that  journalists must take shared responsibility for ensuring verifiable truth. He highlighted PTI’s legacy of truth, accuracy, fairness and independence since its founding by 99 newspapers and stressed that accuracy must always come before speed and stories must be free of any agenda.