Home Ministry asks I&B to stop live coverage of anti-terror operations

NSG_Blackcats

Member of The Month OCTOBER 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
3,489
Likes
1,559

The home ministry has asked the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to tighten rules to ensure there is no live television coverage of anti-terror operations. To do so, it has sought to amend the Programme Code under the Cable Television Network Rules.

In a letter to the I&B ministry earlier this month, the home ministry noted that such live coverage in places like Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere not only affects the secrecy and effectiveness of the operation but also puts the safety of journalists in jeopardy, government officials said. The I&B ministry is still to respond to the suggestion, one of them said.

After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that were broadcast live on television, the National Broadcaster Association put out a set of rules including restriction on live reporting of terror situations, as part of a self-regulation exercise on the part of private broadcasters.

The home ministry is pressing now for more changes to the 15-point Programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 for this specific purpose. The rules were amended in 2009 when private broadcasters were brought within the ambit of the Cable Television Networks Rules.

During the Mumbai terror strike, news channels had broadcast live images, including the moves by security forces, before the authorities intervened and stopped it. Live coverage of an NSG chopper operation at Nariman House was seen to be of particular concern to the government as it was revealed that the controllers of the terrorists sitting in Karachi were monitoring TV channels to guide the attackers.

At the time, the I&B ministry had issued directives to TV channels, asking them to exercise caution while covering terror incidents. In 2011, another advisory was issued pointing out that some TV channels telecast interviews with terrorists or terrorist groups, which the government said could help them to advance their political agenda.
It was also pointed out that such coverage would amount to violation of the provisions of the Programme Code. The Code so far mentions a broad category — that programmes that contain anything affecting the integrity of the nation shouldn't be carried in a cable service.
 

NSG_Blackcats

Member of The Month OCTOBER 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
3,489
Likes
1,559
Re: Home Ministry asks I&B to stop live coverage of anti-terror operat

This should have been done earlier. The channels violating this should face suspension of their operation.
 

rock127

Maulana Rockullah
Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Messages
10,569
Likes
25,230
Country flag
Re: Home Ministry asks I&B to stop live coverage of anti-terror operat

Govt plans fresh policy to prevent info leaks to media | idrw.org

Days after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval wrote a letter to Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth that the media was violating secrecy laws with impunity by airing "classified information", the government departments were in the process of finalising a draft policy to prevent leakage of information.

On October 15, Doval wrote a letter to Seth that NDTV had aired a story that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was shown images of INS Arihant at an award ceremony organised by DRDO. "It is notable that the information televised by the media on Arihant submarine is a classified information. Obtaining such information is an offence under the Official Secrets Act. It has been observed that in the last few years, it has become a regular practice, particularly in the media to violate secrecy laws with impunity. Firm action need to be taken in such cases that undermine the national security of the country..
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top