The All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU), the state’s largest journalists’ body, has sent a legal notice to the Delhi-based civil liberties non-profit, PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties). This action stems from a PUCL report on the Manipur ethnic clashes, which allegedly contained “baseless, unverified, and defamatory allegations” against the AMWJU. The union strongly denies claims that it played a ‘decisive role’ in killing or carrying news stories with a partisan bias, or that it is connected to threats against journalists. The AMWJU accuses the report of using “communal and irresponsible terminology” and violating the principles of natural justice by not seeking the union’s version of events. The union has threatened to file a civil suit for damages and a criminal defamation case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) within 30 days if the report is not withdrawn and a public apology is not issued.

When a major rights body (PUCL) accuses a journalists’ union (AMWJU) of partisan reporting and coercion during a crisis, how does the media profession as a whole rebuild public trust and verify its commitment to objective reporting?