The government has warned the media “to avoid giving undue coverage to terrorists and terror groups which may help them to advance their political agenda.”
In an advisory issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting warned that “such coverage would amount to gross violation of the provisions of the Programme Code contained in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and Rules framed thereunder.”
The advisory comes in the wake of TV channels arranging interviews with terror groups. It mentioned the case of a prominent TV channel which broadcast a phone interview with a terrorist who tried to internationalise the Kashmir issue using the media.
The Ministry warned that such coverage could cause confusion among both domestic and international audiences and give terrorists a platform to justify their activities. “Such undue coverage to terrorists and allowing them to air their views freely can jeopardise national security as well,” it said.
The advisory was issued on the advice of the Home Ministry, which has taken a serious view of the issue. It is a continuation of the directives issued after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.