The main function of journalism is to bring to light to the people what its members feel and think. Journalists are therefore supposed to possess a good deal of intelligence, knowledge and experience as well as natural and trained powers of observation and reasoning.

A journalist has the same obligations as a teacher or interpreter as an educationist has. A journalist who misuses his power for any selfish or unworthy purpose is faceless to a high trust. While the freedom of the press needs to be guarded as a vital right of mankind, it has to suffer certain explicit restrictions to sub-serve social needs.

Freedom of the press does not imply promotion of any private interest of the journalist contrary to the general welfare. That is why the so-called news communications from sundry sources are not published by sensible journalists without substantiating their value as, news both in form and substance.

Also partisanship in editorial comments which is knowingly based on a lie, does violence to the best spirit of journalism.

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There are certain canons of journalism which every journalist is supposed to observe:

(i) Sincerity, truthfulness and accuracy

(ii) Impartiality

(iii) Fairplay

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(iv) Decency

Even when there is no legal authority to enforce* these canons, journalism, as a profession, is supposed to put deliberate ponderings to personal instincts which may encounter effective public disapproval qr yield to the influence of a preponderant professional condemna­tion.