Chandigarh, Oct. 8 -- Veteran journalist and author Rahul Singh said that the "growing power of social media" remains the country's "biggest hope" for sustaining press freedom, at a time when mainstream media is increasingly influenced by corporate and political interests.

Singh was speaking at the inaugural memorial lecture held at the Chandigarh Press Club on October 7. The lecture series has been instituted in memory of the club's late founders, presidents, and senior members.

Singh said the challenges journalists face today are "even greater than those during the turbulent times in Punjab." He stressed the urgent need to protect editorial independence from the "heavy hand of the government and big business houses," citing his own ex...