NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JAN 9
After several instances of lack of discretion by television channels were noticed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the ministry has on Monday issued an advisory to all television channels against reporting incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence including violence against women, children and elderly in manners which grossly compromises on “good taste and decency”.
Ministry of I&B cautions TV channels against broadcasting disturbing footage & distressing images
Gory images of blood, dead bodies, and physical assault against the Programme Code
Click on the link below for Press Release:https://t.co/uWZ3xeRiSO@ianuragthakur pic.twitter.com/h7SQzjoMGw
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) January 9, 2023
In an advisory to all private satellite channels, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cited the coverage of the cricketer’s car crash, airing of distressing images of dead bodies and thrashing of a five-year-old boy and said such reporting offended “good taste and decency”.
- Gory images of blood, dead bodies, physical assault are distressful, against Programme Code
- No editing being done of violent videos being taken from social media by channels
- TV reports causing psychological impact on children, invading privacy of victims
Netizens had questioned the airing of CCTV and mobile visuals connected to the above incidents, and more, on social media and on loop on prime time television.
“…television channels have shown dead bodies of individuals and images/videos of injured persons with blood splattered around, people including women, children, and elderly being beaten mercilessly in close shots, continuous cries and shrieks of a child being beaten by a teacher, shown repeatedly over several minutes including circling the actions thereby making it even more ghastly, without taking the precaution of blurring the images or showing them from long shots,” read the advisory issued on Monday.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Pant, who was driving from Delhi to Roorkee to surprise his family members in the early hours of December 30, suffered multiple injuries after his speeding car hit the divider and caught fire. Pant was taken to Mumbai by air ambulance from Dehradun since he was not in a position to fly by a commercial airline. He has successfully underwent a knee surgery at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital and is recovering.
The advisory also said the broadcasters had taken video clips and images from social media and “little effort has been made to modulate or attune or edit such clips so as to make it compliant and consistent with the spirit of the Programme Code”.
The ministry has “strongly advised” television channels to attune their systems and practices of reporting incidents of crime, accidents, and violence, including death, in conformity with the Programme Code laid under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.
A 20-year-old woman was killed in the early hours of New Year after her scooter was hit by the car which dragged her for 12 kilometres from Sultanpuri to Kanjhawala, in Delhi. Seven persons have been arrested so far in the case.
