Who gave the media the right?:
A basic question is: Who gave the media the right to do the things they do?
Who gave the media the right?
to investigate wrongdoing by public officials,
to delve into the private lives of public figures,
to report on the shortcomings of government and institutions?

Media does not have all these rights, media only has the right to ask which every citizen of the country has, individuals who have some form of personal or public interest or concern in any matter of governmental or institutional affair then try to catch public attention and point to things and in the process letting media go deeper into any governmental or institutional affair .

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The precondition for existence of a higher humanity is not the state, but the nation possessing the necessary ability.

Freedom of speech as a human right.

But the question is why? Shouldn't there be any limits?

What kind of limits, and on what??

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The precondition for existence of a higher humanity is not the state, but the nation possessing the necessary ability.

Constitution of Pakistan 1973

yes there must be limits as complete freedom leads to nowhere but to desroy. press at large is a community/nation and a lawless country can never exist. am i right?

'jis ki lathi us ki bhains' theory gave them the rights you are talking about.
who ever has power does whatever he wants to do. like; army has no right but power to interfere, politicians has no right but power to slap(officials of election commision), similarly media actually has no right but power(dada-giri), so they do what they want to do, because they can't openly use word 'dada-giri' and they can't actually make fool people with the word 'dada-giri' so they use the words like 'rights' and slogans like 'freedom of expression'.

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hazrat umer (r.a)
"kam bolna hikmat, kam khana sihat aur kam sona ibadat hai"

in modern world media is a pillar of a state, it s only media which inform us about all mismanagement of govt and corruption of institution
now your question is that who give right to media about all of this.

some days ago Chief justice of Punjab high court said in his speak
(media has right to criticize on decision of courts , because courts can accept constructive criticism but cannot accept silence like grave )

Media is not a legal pillar of a state, it is a social pillar. Infact people are pillar of a state and media can only exercise rights given to the citizens, it does not have any special legal status of its own . It cannot legally pry into any personal or public affair, but it exercises legal rights given to citizens by the state e.g. freedom of speech, freedom of discussion, freedom to ask the government or others regarding public affairs etc. For example an interview does not have any legal status, it is just like a social interaction between individuals in a public place which everyone can see; others then may derive any results from that social interaction but it never gets any legal status. Or a press release or press conference is just like a government department or an organization telling something to the wider public or people. In that process media becomes more like an influential citizen but not a legal organ of the state like executive or judiciary; and every influential citizen should have some morality and ethics which fits the social needs of the society . Thats all about it . agar media kaa koi fard ghair zimedari kaa muzahira karta hai aur us kee kisi baat se koi social yaa political disorder paida hota hai to us ke liye woh khud zimedar hai, kisi bhi baat ko bunyad bana ke puri media ko aik line main khara kar dena hamara ghalat social mindset hai. media sirif wohi rights istimal karta hai jo ham sab ko mile hue hain, media ke rights pe nuqta cheeni karne kaa matlab hai ham apne hee rights pe nuqta cheeni kar rahe hain . media apne aap main sirif aik public place hai is se ziada aur kuch nahin .

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The precondition for existence of a higher humanity is not the state, but the nation possessing the necessary ability.

Media has certain rights but it has lot of black mailers in its fold that destroying the image of whole media.

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/// Aur be ghum hain zamanay main muhabat kay siwa ///