Govt plans norms for media in terror-related operations

The government is planning to bring in rules for media for coverage of terrorist incidents, almost six years after real time coverage of 26/11 attacks by television channels.

Security agencies have said that the coverage had adversely affected the operations.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley, while delivering the first Justice J S Verma Memorial Lecture here on Sunday, said the issue is under “serious and very advanced consideration”. 

The manner in which anti-terror operations by security agencies was covered by the media is one of the most important issues in contemporary times. The question is whether to allow the media to go right to the spot or if there should be some constraints, he said.

“Our security agencies and the Ministry of Defence are clearly of the view that this (allowing media to go to the spot and report) cannot be allowed. And, therefore, during the limited duration when the security operation is on, a very strict discipline on the kind of reporting which is to take place from the place of the incident will have to be maintained. This issue is under serious and very advanced consideration of the government,” Jaitley said.

The minister also noted that the intelligence agencies had claimed that real time coverage of 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai had helped the handlers of terrorists to keep track of the move of the security forces. 
Suggestion to ban live coverage of anti-terror operations by television channels had earlier been supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the back drop of 26/11 attack.

Jaitley said the days of banning media were long over, noting that it was now hardly possible to “victimise” media organisations through denial of advertisements.

“Assuming that there was emergency imposed today under Article 352 of the Constitution, the impact of the censorship would be nil. The satellite itself defies geographical boundaries,” he said.

The media should be careful in reporting sensitive issues like tension in society, he said. 
The minister also indicated that a long pending proposal of the Election Commission to make paid news a penal offence may find its way in days to come, saying, “I hope that someday paid news can be made a penal offence.” Referring to a past judgment in which a court held that commercial news was also news and therefore protected under an Article in the Constitution which speaks of freedom of speech and expression, he wondered if the “aberration” of paid news could be protected under this wide horizon.