Guild cautions Karnataka police against using UAP act against scribe

In a statement, the Editors Guild said the Shimoga police had demanded information on the Naxalite leader who the reporter had interviewed for an article which appeared in 'Prajawani' newspaper.

"When the reporter refused to comply, the police also send a notice to his Associate Editor Padmaraj Dandavati threatening to use the same Act (UAPA) against him," Editors Guild president Rajdeep Sardesai and Secretary General Coomi Kapoor said.

They said professional ethics demands that media persons should protect their sources and not reveal their identities, when they request privacy.

"The confidentiality of a source is a well established journalistic principle. Without such privilege, sources would not be willing to speak freely to media, whose duty is to report the facts fairly and objectively from all points of view to present a true picture to the public," they said.