At The Edges Of Restraint

CNN-IBN's Rajdeep Sardesai feels that, overall, the coverage was done responsibly. He says: "The events in Mumbai have taught us the importance of exercising restraint and disseminating information with responsibility. We needed to reassure people, not get them anxious or excited. Of course, the code of conduct as proposed by the News Broadcasting Authority (a self-regulatory mechanism set up by broadcasters) needs to be expanded to include the coverage of events like this." Sardesai admits that his channel erred in putting out the news of an attack that never happened near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. But CNN-IBN was quick to clarify and apologise.

The big question is whether it was at all necessary to beam every iota of information in the race to be first with the news? Absolutely yes, say the channels. "In the context of the magnitude of the incident, its dramatic nature, the horror and destruction, we owed it to India to show the carnage," says Narayan Rao, spokesperson for NDTV. He says that during the two-hour blackout of channels in Mumbai on the request of police, rumours gained ground till the channels were back.

Even among broadcasters, the need for a code laying down the template for covering events such as the Mumbai terror strike, preferably self-regulatory, now finds resonance. Union I&B minister Anand Sharma says there's a need for guidelines evolved in consultation with broadcasters. The ministry had sent an advisory to news channels on November 28, following requests from the home and defence ministries and the authority in charge of internal security, to exercise caution while reporting anti-terrorist operations. Sharma says, "We had requested them to refrain from showing shots of the dead or injured and they followed our advisory. Most channels acted responsibly."

Also, he says, the Supreme Court has asked the government to show if there was a content regulatory code for channels, so his ministry is in the process of fine-tuning one. It is also learnt that the ministry is taking help from the defence ministry and the special secretary (internal security) in the home ministry to work out the guidelines and sensitise TV channels and newscasters on reporting calamities.

Perhaps it may be relevant to look at the long-forgotten programme content code of the draft broadcast bill and also take a few tips from the Ofcom (office of communications) code of England. This code, put in place in 2005, lays down the following broad norms on terror coverage:

• Broadcasters must use their best endeavours not to broadcast material that could endanger lives or prejudice the success of attempts to deal with a hijacking or kidnapping.
  
  
• They should not shoot or broadcast footage or audio of people in emergencies, victims of accidents or those suffering personal tragedy, even in public places, unless it is warranted or the people concerned have given consent.
  
  
• People in distress should not be put under pressure to speak or provide interviews unless it is warranted.