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The Press Council of India (PCI) has urged the Government to carry out necessary amendments to bring electronic and social media under its purview, saying broadcast media’s claim for self-regulation is “futile” and “oxymoron“.
The PCI, which also sought to be renamed ‘The Media Council’, cited the recent incidents where social networking sites were used to spread rumours that triggered exodus of people belonging to northeastern states to justify its demand for widening its area of operation and said there should not be any “dilly-dallying” in the matter by the Government.
In a statement released here on Tuesday, the PCI said that it had resolved that the “Government of India be requested to initiate suitable legislation to amend the Press Council Act, 1978, by (i) bringing the electronic media (both broadcast and social media) within the purview of the Press Council Act, and renaming it as The Media Council.”
The PCI also sought more powers for itself, the statement said, adding that it had passed a resolution to this effect at a meeting held here yesterday.
“Journalistic ethics apply not only to the print media but also to the electronic media, and hence there is no reason why electronic media be not regulated by a statutory body, when the print media is regulated,” it said.
PCI Chairperson Justice Markanday Katju has in the past also expressed views that the electronic media should be under the purview of the council.
The PCI also gave reasons for passing the resolution to include the electronic and the social media within its ambit.
“When the Press Council Act was enacted, there was no electronic media, and hence there was no need for any legislation for regulating the electronic media,” the PCI statement said.
“Subsequently, the electronic media has come into existence. Journalistic ethics apply not only to the print media but also to the electronic media...,” it said.
The PCI said that experience had shown that “the claim of the broadcast media for self-regulation is futile and meaningless, because self-regulation is an oxymoron.”
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