New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) ordered the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry to withdraw its press release on fake news, holding that the decision on what constitutes fake news should be left to press bodies.
In a move ostensibly intended to regulate the publication or circulation of fake news, last evening the I&B ministry amended the Guidelines for Accreditation of Journalists. In a press statement, it said that any complaint related to a news article being fake would now be referred to the PCI, if it pertains to print media and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), if it pertains to electronic media, for determination.
Further, determination of the veracity of the news item is expected to be completed within 15 days by the regulating agencies. Once the complaint is registered, the accreditation of the said journalist who is found to have created and/or propagated the fake news will be suspended till the determination process by the agencies has been wrapped up.
The Accreditation Committee of the Press Information Bureau, which is made up of members of the PCI and NBA, will be responsible for validating the accreditation request of any news agency. Once the publication or telecast of a fake news item by an organization has been confirmed, the accreditation shall be suspended for a period of six months in case of the first violation, a year in case of the second and permanently after the third instance.
As per the norm, a journalist is accredited with the Press Information Bureau of the Centre after he/she has had at least five years’ experience as a full-time working journalist. Freelance journalists need to have 15 years of experience and foreign correspondents five years with a valid work visa.
Additionally, the release from the ministry said that while examining requests of accreditation by journalists, the regulatory agencies will determine whether the ‘Norms of Journalistic Conduct’ and ‘Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards’ have been met.
Reacting to the release of the guidelines, veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta called it a breathtaking assault on mainstream media.
“It’s a moment like Rajiv Gandhi’s anti-defamation bill. All media should bury their differences and resist this,” he tweeted.
Make no mistake: this is a breathtaking assault on mainstream media. It"s a moment like Rajiv Gandhi"s anti-defamation bill. All media shd bury their differences and resist this. https://t.co/pyvgymhIkF
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) April 2, 2018
News anchor Barkha Dutt called the fake news fight where media was the enemy ‘Trumpian.’
Something Trumpian in the air. This #FakeNews fight where the Media is the Enemy. While whats app forwards continue to send 'postcards' from an alternative reality 😎 or was it called 'alternative facts'
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) April 3, 2018