I&B Ministry Withdraws Order On Fake News Targeting Journalists After PM's Intervention

The new law framed by I&B ministry Allows regulatory bodies to assume a journalist accused of writing fake news to be guilty until proven innocent

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 3 April 2018 1:58 pm

The I&B ministry has withdrawn its guidelines to regulate fake news, after the PM intervened, said an official statement.

The PMO had directed the I&B ministry headed by Smriti Irani to withdraw its order on journalists' accreditation that allowed regulatory bodies to assume a journalist accused of writing fake news to be guilty until proven innocent -- which goes against cardinal principles of justice, reports said.

The Prime Minister directed that the press release regarding fake news be withdrawn and matter should only be addressed in the Press Council of India, adding that any decision on fake news should be taken by bodies like PCI and NBA.

According to the amended guidelines for journalist accreditation, once the complaint is registered for determination of fake news, the accreditation of the journalist, whoever “created and/or propagated” the fake news, will be suspended till the determination regarding the fake news is made, the ministry said.

It said any complaint of instances of fake news would be referred to the Press Council of India (PCI), if it pertains to print media, and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), if it relates to the electronic media, for determination of the news item being fake or not. This determination is expected to be completed within 15 days by these agencies, the ministry said.

The government said the accreditation of a journalist could be permanently cancelled if the scribe is found generating or propagating fake news, as it came out with stringent measures to contain the menace.

As per the amended guidelines for the accreditation of journalists, if the publication or telecast of fake news is confirmed, the accreditation of that journalist would be suspended for a period of six months in the first violation and for one year in case of a second violation.

In case of a third violation, his or her accreditation would be cancelled permanently, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a release.

However senior journalists accuse the government of targeting accredited journalists of mainstream media while winking at websites that "openly flout journalistic ethics, and are often quoted by ministers."

With its order today, government makes it clear that it only wants to penalise those who are accredited, i.e "Mainstream media". The I&B ministry’s "Fake News" threat doesn't extend to those websites that openly flout journalistic ethics, some q often quoted by Ministers. pic.twitter.com/SZ8v2AcLEH
— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) April 2, 2018

On Thursday, the Bengaluru Crime Branch arrested Mahesh Vikram Hegde, Editor of right-wing fake news portal Postcard News, for spreading fake news of Muslim youth attacking a Jain monk.

The Accreditation Committee of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which consists of representatives of both the PCI and the NBA, would be reached out for validating any accreditation request of any news media agency, it said.

While examining the requests seeking accreditation, the regulatory agencies would check whether the ‘Norms of Journalistic Conduct' and ‘Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards', prescribed by the PCI and NBA respectively, are adhered to by the journalists as part of their functioning, the ministry said.

It would be obligatory for journalists to abide by these guidelines, it said.

(PTI)