News Analysis India

Tag: News Broadcasters Association

  • Centre gives 15 days to OTT platforms, digital news sites for complying with new IT rules

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has sought compliance reports from digital news websites and OTT platforms in 15 days. In a notice dated May 26, the ministry attached three separate forms for OTT platforms print or TV outlets with digital channels and digital-only news websites and asked them to furnish information under Rule 18 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

    According to the government’s new rules, the three-level grievance redressal mechanism will include self-regulation by publishers within 15 days, self-regulation by publishers’ self-regulating bodies which will address grievances not resolved in a fortnight, and oversight mechanism by the I&B ministry which will establish an inter-departmental committee for hearing grievances.

    The government had notified these rules in February. “The publishers may furnish the information to the ministry in the applicable format within 15 days of the issue of this notice,” said the ministry.

    “Since newspapers are registered under Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, and private satellite TV channels are permission holders under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines of the ministry, a separate format for furnishing information…has been devised for such entities publishing news and current affairs on digital media,” the notice said, adding there were separate forms for digital news publishers and OTT platforms.

    Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar interacted with publishers of online curated content and with publishers of news on digital media. The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) expressed concern on the recent notifications.

    “While NBA appreciates the need for regulations, the traditional news media need not be subjected to and/or covered under the scope of the IT Rules 2021, since it is already sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgements,” said a statement from the NBA.

  • ‘Appears to be ultra vires of previous act’: News broadcasters demand exemption from new IT norms

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) Thursday urged the government to “exempt and exclude” the traditional television news media and its extended presence on the digital news platforms from the ambit of the IT Rules 2021, saying it is already “sufficiently regulated” by various statutes, laws, guidelines, codes and regulations.

    “The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000) had not contemplated the regulation of digital news media. Despite this, the IT Rules, 2021 seek to inter alia include traditional news media, i.e. electronic television news media having a digital news feed and presence on other digital media platforms, within its purview. This appears to be ultra vires the IT Act, 2000,” the NBA said, raising its concerns in a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar.

    The NBA represents several leading national and regional private television news and current affairs broadcasters which run news channels in Hindi, English and regional languages.

    “In any event, while the NBA appreciates the need for regulations, the traditional news media need not be subjected to and/ or covered under the scope of the IT Rules 2021, since it is already sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgements,” it said.

    The NBA members are also required to adhere to the code of ethics and broadcasting standards and the National Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) regulations and the guidelines, it added.

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    The NBSA is an independent self-regulatory mechanism that is headed by an eminent jurist along with four independent members from the civil society, being persons with proven eminence in various fields of activity and four editors of the members of NBA.

    “The IT Rules 2021, if applied to the digital media of the linear television medium, would only result in duplication of the adjudicatory and redressal mechanism resulting in the creation of parallel adjudicatory bodies,” the NBA said.

    The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 prescribe administrative regulations, which will make it “virtually impossible” for small or medium-sized traditional news media organisations to survive, the news broadcasters body said.

    “Any additional mandates as contemplated under the IT Rules, 2021 would result in increasing the employee costs and compliance requirements of the traditional television news media organisations along with duplication and creation of parallel processes,” it said.

    The NBA said the media organisations would have to devote “significant resources and time” in resolving each complaint and in defending themselves before multiple forums.

    “Therefore, NBA suggests that the focus should primarily be on further strengthening the already existing mechanism of NBSA and giving statutory recognition to NBA’s Code of Ethics under the Cable TV Rules,” it added.

    The NBA also said that the IT Act, 2000 and the IT Rules 2021, and “more specifically” provisions such as the blocking of content in cases of emergency, will “severely” impact the freedom of speech and expression of the media.

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    “Since the news channels/broadcasters and their extended digital arms strictly adhere to the statutes and regulations applicable and are governed at multiple levels of redressal mechanism, if the IT Rules, 2021 are made applicable, it will not only lead to harassment of the news channels/broadcasters but will also suppress and violate their fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression and will also restrict news reporting in a fair manner,” the association said.

    “The NBA requests the exclusion of the digital news platforms that are owned and run by traditional news media from the purview of the provisions of the IT Rules, 2021,” it said.

    The association requested that a “specific and express exclusion” should be carved out in the definitions of “digital news media and/or publishers of news and current affairs content” to exclude the applicability of the provisions of the IT Rules, 2021 to the digital news platforms that are owned and run by the traditional news media.

    The association also urged the ministry to keep the IT Rules, 2021 “in abeyance/suspension”, specifically concerning the NBA members till the pending matters challenging the IT Rules, 2021 in the various high Courts are adjudicated upon and decided.

  • NBA condemns FIRs against senior editors over coverage of Republic Day violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The News Broadcasters Association on Monday strongly condemned the registration of FIRs against senior editors and journalists over the coverage of the farmers’ protest and the ensuing violence on Republic Day here, and demanded that the FIRs be quashed.

    Six journalists — Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath — along with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, have been booked by police, including in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, over their alleged “misleading” tweets on the violence during the farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

    In a statement, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) said it is of the opinion that both the print and electronic media have been covering the farmers’ protests on the outskirts of Delhi in a fair, balanced and objective manner.

    The NBA strongly condemns the registration of FIRs against senior editors and journalists over the coverage of the farmers’ protest and the ensuing violence that took place in the national capital on January 26, the statement said.

    “To construe the reporting on one incident as an intent on the part of the journalists to incite violence, or as an offence, is like shooting the messenger. Also worrisome are the provisions under which the FIRs have been filed – ranging from sedition to harming national integrity and promoting communal disharmony,” the NBA said.

    “Weaponising archaic laws such as Sedition to stifle journalists negates the founding principles of our democracy that recognises the rights of news media to report without fear or favour. Laws such as Sedition are also increasingly being used to impede the functioning of a free press,” it said.

    The targeting of journalists is an attack on press freedom and severely impairs the media’s ability to perform its journalistic duties as an independent watchdog of our democracy, the NBA said.

    “While individual complainants are entitled to their grievances, the State, which understands the critical role of the media and the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution, should ensure that the cases filed by the police against the senior editors and journalists are withdrawn,” it said.

    The NBA demanded that the FIRs be quashed and the journalists be allowed to perform their professional journalistic duties without fear.

  • SC seeks Centre’s reply on PIL seeking setting up of media tribunal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday sought responses from the Centre, Press Council of India (PCI) and the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on a PIL seeking setting up of a media tribunal to adjudicate on complaints against media, channels and networks.

    A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian took note of the plea which also sought setting up of an independent committee headed by either by a former Chief Justice of India or an apex court judge to review the entire legal framework related to media business regulations and suggest guidelines.

    Besides the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, PCI and NBA, the bench also issued notices to News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) and News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) on the PIL filed jointly by film maker, Nilesh Navalakha and civil engineer Nitin Memane in the proceedings conducted through video conferencing.

    The plea said media, particularly the electronic, has become like an unruly horse which needs to be tamed.

    The top court tagged the PIL with a pending plea on the issue.