Top media bodies express outrage over govt's unsuccessful move to curb 'fake news'

The Editors Guild of India and several other media bodies today strongly condemned the information and broadcasting ministry's unsuccessful move to "police" the media by seeking to punish journalists for fake news.

Top editors of the national media and scores of journalists, at a gathering at the Press Club of India here, expressed their anguish over the ministry's "brazen attempt" to curb the freedom of press.

The order to check fake news, issued late last night by the ministry, was withdrawn after Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the ministry to cancel it after opposition parties and media fraternity accused the government of trying to muzzle their voice through the proposed measures.

The Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs of India also issued a joint statement, expressing their "deep concern" at the order issued by the I and B ministry.

"By notifying that the I & B Ministry will initiate such proceedings, the government was arrogating for itself the role of policing the media. It would have opened the door for frivolous complaints to harass journalists and organisations to fall in line," the Editors Guild said in a statement.

The guidelines proposed to suspend a journalist's accreditation based on a complaint before an inquiry was into it was completed by the Press Council of India.

The Guild acknowledged the intervention of the Prime Minister's Office to withdraw the I & B Ministry's notification but added that it remains deeply disturbed that faith continues to be reposed on the Press Council of India to deliver justice on such issues.

"The recent reconstitution of the Press Council of India has been done in a manner that gives rise to doubts over the independence of the institution and its ability to play neutral umpire. The Guild's nominees to the Council were disallowed on technical grounds," it said.

The Guild said the recent reconstitution of the Central Press Accreditation Committee has raised questions over the "non-transparent" processes being followed by the I and B ministry as the Guild's application was ignored.

It said the 'fake news' is a process that cannot be left to governments to initiate action when, on many occasions, the governments and the parties in power - both at the Centre and states - are charged with propagating fake news themselves.

The joint statement by four media bodies expressed anguish over the guidelines issued by the I and B ministry in which it had said that an accredited journalist's accreditation would stand suspended or cancelled if he or she was found having "created or propagated" fake news.

"We wish to point that the journalist community is as concerned as the public regarding the purveying of fake news, which has the very potential of altering and subverting the character of Indian democracy.

"While the misuse of any form of technology is a constant concern, distorted, fake news or false information meant to create disharmony, create social divides or defame individuals or groups are already covered by the statute books," the statement said.

Eminent journalist H K Dua said the move has "revealed the psychology" behind government's intention although they have "wisely withdrawn" it.

"Maximum lies are told to the people by the politicians and the government. Press has the duty to expose those lies. We still do not know who conceived this idea that they can muzzle the Indian press," he said.

The Press Council of India, which is a quasi judicial body, said there was "nothing wrong or obnoxious" if any government intends to take remedial steps to check fake news provided that the authority to decide the cases are entrusted to an independent statutory body.

The PCI, in a statement signed by its chairman Justice (retd) C K Prasad, said "no prudent person should or can justify" the dissemination of fake news.

News Broadcasters Association (NBA) President Rajat Sharma, in a statement, welcomed the decision of the Prime Minister's Office to withdraw the ministry's press release related to fake news.

NBA also welcomes the decision to let industry bodies --NBA and the Press Council of India (PCI) -- decide all issues relating to fake news', he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)