The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has said that the Kerala government’s decision to empower officials to seek explanations from media persons on news items and their sources poses a serious challenge to media freedom. The government order in this regard empowers an investigating officer to summon documents for examinations. This can only be seen as an onslaught on the people’s right to know and freedom of expression. INS president M.V. Sreyamskumar and Kerala committee chairman Harsha Mathew have urged the Chief Minister to immediately withdraw the order in the interest of free and fair journalism. Published - August 13, 2025 07:02 pm IST