New Delhi, April 23: The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has advised private TV news channels against making false claims and using scandalous headlines.
The Ministry has found that in the recent past, many Satellite TV channels have carried out coverage of events and incidents in a manner which appears to be unauthentic, misleading, sensational and using socially unacceptable language and remarks, offending good taste and decency, and obscene and defamatory and having communal overtones. The advisory has cited the Ukraine-Russian conflict and the incidence in North-West Delhi in particular where TV news content and debates have been found in violation of Programme Code.
The government cited specific instances of "hyperbolic" statements by news anchors and "scandalous headlines" while reporting on Ukraine-Russia conflict and disrupting the investigation process into the "incidents" in north-west Delhi by airing "unverified CCTV footages".
In case of Delhi violence, certain channels have aired news items with provocative headlines and videos of violence that may incite communal hatred among communities and disrupt peace and law and order. The channels have further fabricated headlines giving communal colour to actions of authorities.
It "strongly advised" the television channels to "immediately refrain from publishing and transmitting any content which is violative of the aforementioned provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the rules thereunder."