With the media’s allegedly irresponsible coverage of the Mumbai terror siege under the scanner, the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is set to introduce a set of specific guidelines for reporting on “emergency situations”. I&B Minister for State Anand Sharma is learnt to have issued directions for instituting a ‘standing media consultative committee’ under the I&B Secretary to frame guidelines for coverage of emergency situations like terror strikes, natural disasters, riots and so on. This committee would have representatives from the Editors Guild of India and broadcasters’ associations as its members. While the ministry has already shot off a showcause notice to India TV for airing a conversation between two terrorists and is considering serious action against the channel, it is also learnt that similar notices have been despatched to a couple of other prominent news channels, under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act’s Programming Code. Incidentally, Television Audience Measurement (TAM) data ratings of news channels jumped up substantially during the Mumbai terror attacks.The Centre is of the view that the minute-by-minute coverage of the Mumbai attacks had exposed the NSG commandos to “grave risk” while security operations were on. So much so that security agencies are learnt to have submitted in writing that commando operations were hampered due to the live media coverage. In addition, says the ministry, the media showed great insensitivity by cornering even injured people in ambulances to get sound bytes. Sources also said that there was a need to put more “systems in place”, just as was done post-9/11 in New York and the London bombings. Following those incidents, the Government and media collaborated to frame a set of strict guidelines for coverage of ‘emergency situations’. The same was conveyed to broadcasters at a meeting that the I&B ministry held with them on Wednesday. The ministry also issued an advisory to 42 broadcasters who run 200 news channels on Wednesday, asking them to exercise “restraint” and and not to replay “gory” visuals that could demoralise viewers. “News coverage pertaining to the event should project that India is not demoralised and has risen despite all terrorist attacks¿ (it) should project that India is a global power that has full support of the international community. Gory scenes should not be shown, tragedy should not be replayed¿ media has a great role to play to ensure return of normalcy,” the I&B advisory reads.The I&B ministry has long been proposing a Broadcasting Bill and Content Code for broadcasters but it was rejected by the latter for fear of government interference. Some broadcasters formed the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) last year and it came up with its own self-regulatory code.However, the Supreme Court has recently ordered that it was not sufficient and the I&B ministry must come up with a set of regulations for the media. The ministry has now constituted an inter-ministerial committee for the purpose.
