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Two TV channels have been served show cause notices for reporting on the terror strikes on Mumbai in a manner that created insecurity among people as well as endangered the lives of both the security forces and people caught up in the attacks
The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has issued show cause notices to two television channels for their reporting of the three-day attack mounted by a group of terrorists on several locations in Mumbai, on November 26, 2008. It has also proposed setting up a committee to frame guidelines for reporting in combat situations. Television cameras were allowed very close to the three main locations where the terror strike continued for three days, and were able to relay a second-by-second account of the siege and attempts by the security forces to release people trapped inside buildings. India TV was served a notice for airing a conversation with a terrorist during the attack. Subsequently, the I&B ministry sent an advisory to all news and current affairs channels, on December 4, 2008, advising them to stop broadcasting reports that could shake people’s confidence in the Indian polity, and prevent the nation from returning to normalcy by repeatedly showing gory details of the attacks. “Repeated visuals and stories pertaining to the attack, which would make the perpetrators feel their attack was a success, should be avoided. The media is hereby advised to play the positive role it has in its power to play, to instil confidence in the citizens and send a message to the inimical terrorist forces that India is not in disarray.” The advisory goes on to warn: “The media is also advised that continued unbalanced reporting, which inhibits the restoration of normalcy and propagates a feeling of insecurity, may be treated as coverage against the interest of the nation in the circumstances and attract appropriate action as per rules and as per the terms and conditions of the permission granted for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels in India.” Prior to the advisory, on November 28, 2008 the I&B ministry summoned news media owners along with the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) and News Broadcasting Association (NBA) chiefs to express concern over coverage of the terror attacks by the national news channels. The coverage was seen as harmful enough for the police to black out news channels during the day. An order sent by the deputy commissioner of police said that the “transmission of various clippings/live relay/coverage of the actions being taken by the police against the terrorists in south Mumbai is causing impediment in the police action… thereby endangering the lives of the police personnel as also of the hostages”. The government, however, intervened and cancelled the order. The second news channel to be served a show cause notice is Aaj Tak. The notice was issued on December 5, 2008, for a report that it had telecast during the terror attack and which the ministry thought was ‘misleading’. With no code of conduct in place for reporting on such events, TV channels have the freedom to report whatever they want to. At the meeting that the IBF and NBA had with the ministry, media owners reportedly argued that there was, at present, lack of structured information from the government to the broadcast media. Moreover, there was no clarity on officials that could be contacted to verify or cross-check information. On December 7, the government said it would set up a committee to frame guidelines for coverage of combat situations. “We have learnt our lesson and will soon frame a mechanism and policy in this regard,” said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma. The committee will comprise representatives from the Editors Guild and NBA and will be headed by the secretary, I&B. Source: The Indian Express, December 8, 2008
www.exchange4media.com, December 5, 2008
www.exchange4media.com, November 28, 2008
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