Free Press Journal, an Indian daily newspaper changed its masthead to “Free Rights”, on International Human Rights Day. This is to draw the nation’s attention and spark discussions on social issues that are prevalent in the country.
“This day gives us a chance to acknowledge advocates and leaders and learn more about what human rights really mean for people from all walks of life. It gives us the opportunity to stand up for our rights, those which are under threat every day”, the publication said.
Out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index, India ranks at 140th, therefore it is fitting to use press freedom as a benchmark for measuring the level of overall freedom in the country.
Their Human Rights editions will be featuring points of view on the first two pages with their contributors talking about human rights and looking at them from different perspectives. Inside the newspaper, you can read articles from many prominent personalities, like Acclaimed adman Prahlad Kakkar who talks about gender equality, while actor Raveen Tandon writes about the current status of human rights in India, writer and TV personality Kunal Vijaykar writes about the freedom of expression, lawyer Zoru Bhathena writes about human rights and the environment, among many others.
“Though we are in the business of journalism, we want to focus on addressing the issues at hand. In a world that is increasingly becoming more open-minded, India is being close-minded. Which is why talking about human rights has become the need of the hour. And though it is impossible to speak about every right, our attempt is to highlight some of the key rights that we, as a country, find thwarted,” says by Chairman Director, Abhishek Karnani
The Free Press Journal has revealed plans on taking the idea to social media, thus they have partnered with Isobar India to bring ideas and add lots of fuel to their initiative in the coming few days.
The idea was brought by Taproot Dentsu, one of India’s leading advertising agencies. Here’s what its Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Santosh Padhi, had to say: “Being from the creative industry I believe in the strength of creativity and its power to move people and change how they think. As a country, we are creatively gifted. But unfortunately, due to many religious and political agendas coming in our way, our creativity has been thwarted. The last few years have seen it taking a backseat. Both Taproot and I have, over the years, faced issues that endangered our basic right of expression – there are a number of political parties and religious groups that exist to exercise their right to thwart ours. So, this particular issue is close to my heart.”
