The Shashi Tharoor-led panel said that the media "is gradually losing its credibility and integrity" and "values and morality are being compromised".
Photo: Reuters
New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has recommended the setting up of a ‘Media Council’ with statutory powers to enforce its powers to check “irregularities” in print, electronic and digital media platforms, saying that the fourth estate is “gradually losing its credibility and integrity”.
This recommendation was part of the ‘Ethical Standards In Media Coverage’ report that the committee, which is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, submitted in parliament on Wednesday. The report noted that existing regulatory bodies like the Press Council of India (PCI) and the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) have limited efficacy because they do not have the powers to enforce their decisions.
According to news agency PTI, the committee also expressed concern over the “disturbing trend” of fake news and asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to pursue the Ministry of Law and Justice for early implementation of the Law Commission recommendation to make paid news an electoral offence. This, the committee said, will have a deterrent effect.
The ‘Media Council’ should be set up after consensus is evolved through a ‘Media Commission’ that would comprise of experts for wider consultations amongst the interested groups and stakeholders, the report said. The Media Commission should look into all the complex issues concerning the media and submit its report within six months of its inception, it said.
The Committee said that the media, “which was once the most trusted weapon in the hands of the citizenry in our democracy and acted as trustees of the public interest is gradually losing its credibility and integrity where values and morality are being compromised”.
Commenting on the limitation of the PCI, a statutory body governing the print media, the panel said that while the body may entertain complaints and is empowered to warn, admonish or censure newspapers, news agencies, the editor or the journalist concerned, it does not have the power to enforce compliance. Its advisories are not enforceable in a court of law, it said.
It also noted that the NBDSA, a self-regulatory body that governs news broadcasting, has the power to fine, but its jurisdiction extends to only those organisations that choose to be members of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association. Compliance with its orders is also voluntary, the report noted.
The panel recommended restructuring the PCI to cover all types of media.
“In view of the above, the Committee has opined that the MIB should explore the possibility of establishing a wider Media Council encompassing not just the print media but the electronic and digital media as well, and equip it with statutory powers to enforce its orders where required.”
“This would enable it to have a holistic view of the media scenario and take appropriate steps to check irregularities, ensure freedom of speech and professionalism, and maintain the highest ethical standards and credibility, which are so critical for the fourth pillar of democracy,” it recommended.
The committee said pending a decision on the council, the MIB should look into the possibility of expanding the regulatory framework to monitor e-newspapers.
It also expressed concern that newspapers tend to repeat the same mistakes even after being censured by PCI until action is taken by the Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) to withhold government advertisements to that particular newspaper for a certain period of time as per the government’s policy.
“It is surprising to note that a lot of time is wasted in taking a decision by the BOC against such newspapers, which eventually dilutes the impact of the decision,” the panel said, adding that it takes almost a year for the BOC to take a decision to withhold government advertisements.
The panel said that it found merit in the PCI’s proposal that the government may prescribe a time period within which the BOC must take action.
Problem of ‘fake news’
The panel said that ‘fake news’ has become a “disturbing trend in India, where the contributors of content are not only owners of websites, but also individual subscribers, on whom exercising control is posing a very big challenge.”
While appreciating the establishment of fact-checking units in 17 regional offices of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the committee asked the MIB to open more such units to remain vigilant for viral videos/news which could create public disorder. It also suggested that the government should tap into the existing expertise available in the form of independent fact-checkers such as Alt News and SM Hoax Slayer.
It recommended that the term “fake news” should be broadly defined. The panel also embraced the views of the Prasar Bharati CEO that the regulatory mechanisms should utilise technology such as artificial intelligence to “check fake news and to be able to intervene in near real-time”.
The Committee also sought that the term “anti-national attitude” in Rule 6(1)(e) of the Cable Television Network Rules, 2014 must be properly defined as it may be the cause of unnecessary harassment of the private channels.
The rule states that no programme should be carried “which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote ‘Anti-national attitudes’.”
“The term Anti-national attitude’ has, however, not been separately defined in the programme code enumerated in the CTN Rules, 1994. The Ministry has justified that ‘Anti-national’ is commonly understood as opposed to national interests or nationalism. However, the Committee is of the considered opinion that the term Anti-national attitude’ used in Rule …. may be the cause of unnecessary harassment of the private Channels and therefore recommend that the term ‘Anti-national attitude’ be properly defined to remove any ambiguity in the interpretation of the term in the prescribed code,” the panel said.
source ; thewire.in
Social media is bold.
Social media is young.
Social media raises questions.
Social media is not satisfied with an answer.
Social media looks at the big picture.
Social media is interested in every detail.
social media is curious.
Social media is free.
Social media is irreplaceable.
But never irrelevant.
Social media is you.
(With input from news agency language)
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
We are a non-profit organization. Help us financially to keep our journalism free from government and corporate pressure
0 Comments