The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Press Council for reasonable restraint on the part of media

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Press Council for reasonable restraint on the part of media

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Press Council of India prefers that the media exercise reasonable restraint in Mumbai-type terror hostage situations, in such a manner that “transparency [of functioning of the media] is not hampered,” its Chairman G.N. Ray said on Monday.

“Restraint is required sometimes on the part of the media. But nobody from outside should gag the media…There should not be any type of pre-censorship,” he said.

Answering a question, he said there was no question of the Press accepting a gag order from anyone else.

At the same time, the press has to be sensitive to the needs of the security forces. Also, the press should not play into the hands of those trying to create communal or caste divides, he said, addressing presspersons after concluding the first day of a two-day sitting in Chennai.

Seminar

Suggesting dialogue as a way to resolve the conflict of interest between the security agencies, the government and the media in such situations, he said the Press Council had decided to organise a seminar on January 21 in Nagpur on the topic ‘Reporting Terror.’ He wanted representatives of the security forces, governments and the press to take part in the seminar so that an understanding could be reached on the ground rules in case of such events.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu