The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday suggested that the Union government should s...
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on Wednesday suggested that the Union government should set up a council to check irregularities in print, digital and electronic media, PTI reported.
In a report submitted in the Parliament, the committee led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the efficacy of the existing regulatory organisations was limited.
The parliamentary panel said that the Press Council of India, which governs print media, can rebuke newspapers and news agencies, but its advisories are not enforceable in a court, PTI reported.
In case of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, its regulatory powers apply only to the organisations that are members of the News Broadcasters’ Association, the panel led by Tharoor said. The panel added that the broadcasting authority’s efficacy “depends on voluntary compliance with its orders”.
The parliamentary panel observed that media, which was once the “most trusted weapon in the hands of the citizenry”, is slowly losing its integrity and credibility.
“In view of the above, the MIB [Ministry of Information and Broadcasting] should explore the possibility of establishing a wider Media Council encompassing not just the print media but the electronic and digital media as well, and equip it with statutory powers to enforce its orders where...
