The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes a clarification by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that his Government has no immediate intention of introducing a statutory code for broadcast news channels in designated “emergency” situations.
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had reportedly prepared a code requiring news channels to carry only pre-authorised content during situations notified as “emergencies”. The issue became a serious concern with the MIB following the live coverage of the November 26 attacks in Mumbai and the 60-hour siege of three buildings in the city.
“The IFJ recognises the public concerns that have arisen about the live coverage of such attacks,” Jacqueline Park, IFJ Asia-Pacific Director, said.
“But the IFJ’s view is that India’s broadcast media is stepping up to the challenge of self-regulation and will evolve a satisfactory code of conduct even for such extraordinary situations.”
Official compulsions clashed with the unfettered right of broadcasters on several occasions during the Mumbai coverage. On the evening of November 28, as the Mumbai siege approached the 48-hour mark, police ordered all channels to cease live coverage. This apparently was because a Hindi news channel established live phone contact with the gunmen who had commandeered one of the three buildings.
The ban on live coverage was quickly rescinded. But after the siege ended, the channel was issued a notice demanding an explanation of its conduct. A committee of the upper house of India’s Parliament called for statutory regulations on the media “in the larger interest of society”, since it believed competition among news channels made self-regulation a distant prospect.
India’s Chief Justice also commented that the “symbolic impact of terrorist attacks” had been “considerably amplified by the role of pervasive media coverage”. The “proliferation of 24-hour TV news channels and the digital medium” ensured that “disturbing images and statements reach a very wide audience”. The Chief Justice said “unrestrained coverage” may have the effect of “provoking anger amongst the masses” and fuelling “an irrational desire for retribution”.
A consortium of India’s most prominent news channels has since formulated a code of conduct for emergency situations that emphasises the “public interest” as the vital touchstone.
The MIB nevertheless continued with its effort to work out a statutory code and had reportedly drafted amendments to be notified by ordinance to India’s cable TV law.
“The Prime Minister’s clarification that the law will not be put into operation is welcome,” Ms Park said. “But the IFJ urges the broadcast industry to engage in a dialogue with the journalists’ community and civil society to evolve a code that will serve the public interest in all contingencies.”
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 122 countries