I&B withdraws its amended guidelines for accreditation of journalists

Context:

• The Information & Broadcast Ministry has withdrawn its set of stringent measures to deal with fake news after the Prime Minister’s Office directed the same.

Background:

• 2^nd April, 2018: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has amended the guidelines for accreditation of journalists.
• 3^rd April, 2018: Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry had withdrawn its amended guidelines.

Reason behind the amendment:

• Increasing instances of fake news in various mediums, including print and electronic media.

Reason behind the withdrawal:

• The press organizations had threatened to launch protests against the move.
• The government did not want any raging controversy on the freedom of speech.
• There is no guarantee that these rules will not be misused to harass honest reporters.
• There is no concrete definition on ‘fake news’.

Impact of fake news:

• Hurts democratic ideals and principles,
• Cause problems in good governance,
• Cause market failures,
• Rise to terrorist radicalization, and
• Create biased viewpoints.

On ethical ground:

• It adversely impacts:
• Common brotherhood and raises intolerance,
• Right to freedom of expression v/s responsibility of generating ethical information, and
• Moral duty to develop a scientific temper, humanism and spirit of enquiry and reform.

Accreditation:

• Certification of competence in a specified subject or areas of expertise, and of the integrity of an agency, firm, group, or person, awarded by a duly recognized and respected accrediting organization.

Amendments in the guidelines for accreditation of journalists (which have been withdrawn):

Regulating agencies:

• Instances of fake news would get referred to:
• The Press Council of India (PCI) if it pertains to print media and
• News Broadcasters Association (NBA) if it relates to electronic media.

Regulating agencies will examine:

• The `Norms of Journalistic Conduct’ and `Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards’ prescribed by the PCI and NBA.  

Time period:

• Determination is expected to be completed within 15 days.

After determination of fake news:

• The accreditation shall be suspended for:
• A period of 6 months – first violation,
• One year – second violation, and
• Cancelled permanently – third violation.

Press Information Bureau (PIB) accreditation:

Implementation:

• Government accreditation is limited to the residents of Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon.
• On average, an estimated 3,000 press accreditation cards are issued annually by the government.

Eligibility:

• Correspondents or camerapersons – five years’ experience as a full-time working journalist
• Freelance journalists – 15 years’ experience.
• Note: The I&B ministry doesn’t issue accreditation cards to journalists working in digital media.

Benefits:

• Journalists access to government buildings within Delhi-NCR,
• Note: Journalists in the other parts of the country have to seek state government-issued press accreditation cards.
• Railway fare concessions,
• Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) card and
• A certain number of government bungalows.

Way ahead:

• Self-regulation is the key to balance freedom of speech and autonomy of media with the objective content regulation.
• Press should not overcast its public duties over its private goals.
• Information are ought to be objective and of public interest.
• ‘Fake news’ should be legally described.
• Strict punitive measures for whoever encourages ‘fake news’.