Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory prohibiting satellite TV channels to transmit programming that is violative of the Programme Code under Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995. The ministry observed that the reporting of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and recent demolition incident in North-West Delhi are "misleading, sensationalist and have communal overtones."
Relating to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the I&B ministry highlighted that TV channels have been making false claims and frequently misquoting international agencies/actors. That they have been using 'scandalous headlines/taglines' that are completely unrelated to the news item. And that many of the journalists and news anchors of these channels made fabricated and hyperbolic statements intending to incite the audiences.
Similarly, the reporting for the incident in North-West Delhi “made use of provocative headlines and videos of violence that may incite communal hatred among the communities and disrupt peace and law and order,” according to the ministry. The coverage disrupted the ongoing investigation process by playing scandalous and unverified CCTV footage. By showing footage of a specific community thus aggravating the communal tensions and fabricated headlines sensationalising and giving communal colours to the actions of authority.
The ministry also stated that in the news, “some of the channels broadcast debates having unparliamentary, provocative and socially unacceptable language, communal remarks and derogatory references which may have a negative psychological impact on viewers and may also incite communal disharmony and disturb the peace at large.”
As per the provisions of the Programme Code, no programme should be carried in the cable service which (a) offends against good taste or decency (b) contains criticisms of friendly countries (c) contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes (d) contains anything, obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths.
