**Journalism in the Age of Labor Codes: A New Chapter of Rights or the End of Old Protections?**
The implementation of four labor codes by the central government has marked a decisive shift in the country's labor landscape. These codes formally abolished 29 outdated labor laws. In the same vein, three important laws related to journalists and the press industry—the *Working Journalists Act*, the *Working Journalists' Wages Act*, and the *Trade Unions Act*—have also become part of history.
This change is not merely a matter of renaming laws or consolidating them into a single folder; it marks a turning point in the structure of rights, protections, and professional dignity in Indian journalism.
### **Broader Definition—A Positive Step**
Amending the Working Journalists Act and incorporating it into an industry-specific code is a welcome step in that the definition of a journalist has become more contemporary.
Today, the largest segment of media is electronic, digital, and audio-visual platforms, employing millions—yet, surprisingly, these journalists did not receive the same protections as print journalists under the old law.
The new definition eliminates this disparity and acknowledges the changing reality of media.
### **But concerns are not without**
While this change is in keeping with modernity, a major debate has been suppressed in the process—
**Will the special protections afforded to journalists now be weakened?**
The old laws provided journalists with a distinct identity, distinct rights, and a unique protection framework. The wage board system, limitations on disciplinary action, special protections against arbitrary dismissal, and a specific interpretation of employer-employee relations—all these distinguished journalism from a general industry.
The new Code now includes journalists within the broader scope of general industries. This threatens to upset the balance between industry interests and editorial autonomy.
### **Potential Impact on Press Freedom**
When journalists' rights are weakened, press freedom ultimately suffers. Journalists working in an insecure, unstable, and uncertain environment often hesitate to report boldly against powerful forces, corporate pressure, or organizational interests.
Therefore, the question isn't just about employment; it's about strengthening the fourth pillar of democracy.
### **Responsibility of both the government and the media**
The responsibility doesn't end with the implementation of labor codes. The real test will now be:
to what extent the rules established under the codes protect the actual rights and protections of journalists.
Media owners also have a moral obligation to use the technical reforms in the law not to weaken journalists' protections, but to make media houses more transparent and accountable.
### **Finally…**
The four labor codes are an attempt to simplify and streamline India's industrial structure. But journalism isn't just an industry—it's the heartbeat of democracy.
The new codes certainly provide a modern framework, but this framework will only be meaningful if journalists' rights are protected, their voices are safeguarded, and the press remains the watchdog of the people, not of power.
This is a time of both excitement and concern.
This is a time to be vigilant.