DD to probe its correspondent's goof up on JK flood reporting

Doordarshan has constituted a two-member internal committee to look into the matter where one of its correspondents, while reporting on the floods in Jammu and Kashmir, used names employed by separatists while referring to Anantnag and Shankaracharya Hill.

The correspondent had reportedly used "Islamabad" to describe Anantnag and "Sulaiman Hill" to describe the Shankaracharaya Hill while reporting on the flood situation in the state.

Doordarshan officials said the committee will give an opportunity to the correspondent to explain the choice of words and then recommend what action needs to be taken in the matter.

"Doordarshan is seized of the matter where one of its correspondents while reporting on the recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir used words "Sulaiman hill" to describe Shankaracharya Hill and "Islamabad" to describe Anantnag. The matter has been referred to an internal committee which has been constituted with approval by Prasar Bharati.

"The Committee will give a hearing to the correspondent and analysing all facts and aspects, recommend suitable action should be taken," Doordarshan's DG (News) Archana Datta said.

She also said that the concerned person has been taken off-camera and shifted to editorial desk. It is learnt that the decision to appoint a committee was taken last week.

Officials said that the concerned person in this case is a regular employee. Recently in a separate matter, Doordarshan had faced an embarrassing situation where one of the news anchors on its casual panel had mistook the name of visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping's name for roman numeral 'eleven' and pronounced it thus.