Seven years ago, television news channels reporting the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai were pilloried for the manner in which the incident was reported. The channels also faced flak for giving away operational details of the counter-offensive. The UPA government was criticised for failing to engage the media in an emergency situation. A self-regulatory code followed after some self-introspection.
On Monday morning, as terrorists struck in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, television channels temporarily forgot the code, particularly the clause that dealt with reporting on a terror attack. Some channels even reported a hostage situation had developed and some captives were killed in the attack.
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Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had to clarify there was no information on a hostage situation. Sometime before noon, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued an advisory to all news channels.
“No programme shall be carried in the cable service which contains live coverage of any anti-terrorist operation by security forces, wherein media coverage shall be restricted to periodic briefing by an officer designated by the government till such operation concludes.”