Publish foreign content after due verification or face consequences: Press Council to media

The Press Council of India on Wednesday "advised" Indian media to publish content from foreign publications only after due verification and warned that they will be held responsible for the reportage, irrespective of from where it sourced the article.

The advisory said the Press Council has considered references received "by the government" from various quarters about the "responsibility of Indian newspapers in publishing foreign content".

The Press Council said it was of the view that unregulated circulation of foreign content is "not desirable".

"Hence, it advises the media to publish foreign extracts in Indian newspapers with due verification as reporter, publisher and editor of such newspaper shall be responsible for the contents irrespective of the source from which it is received," the advisory said.

The Press Council's advisory comes as Indian newspapers and other media outlets publish reports and editorials by foreign publications like the Economist, New York Times, and Washington Post that criticise the Narendra Modi government.

Sources said the Press Council was apprised of several people complaining about content generated by foreign publications being published without verification and some of them going against the interests of the country.