Editors Guild expresses concern over raids on NewsClick office

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Wednesday expressed concern over raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the office of the news website NewsClick.in, and the residences of its editor-in-chief and promoter, the editor and senior management.

The EGI said that it is concerned that raids by government agencies are being used as coercive measures to suppress free and independent journalism. “The Guild demands that care be taken to not undermine the news operations of NewsClick and that its journalists and stakeholders are not harassed under the garb of such measures,” the EGI said.

Critical reporting

The EGI added that in the recent past the website has been at the front-line of reporting on the farmers agitation, the anti-CAA protests, and has been critical of various government policies and of a few powerful corporate houses.

The Press Club of India also expressed concern and called the raid an “unsavoury attack on the media in a bid to intimidate and silence critical journalism”.

“A series of attacks on prominent journalists of the country, and also on lesser-known hard working journalists who report from the ground in far-flung areas of the country, has regrettably become the hallmark of the government,” the PCI said.

It asked the government to end “raid raj” and “false allegations raj” against the media and take visible steps to ensure democratic freedoms such as free speech and right to liberty.