New Delhi: The Centre has cautioned television channels against compromising on “good taste and decency” while reporting on accidents, deaths and violence, particularly against women, children and the elderly.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory Monday after noticing “several instances of lack of discretion by television channels”.
The ministry said channels have shown dead bodies and images of the injured “with blood spattered”, and women, children and elderly “beaten mercilessly in close shots”.
It said channels have amplified “continuous cries and shrieks of a child being beaten by a teacher, shown repeatedly over several minutes, including circling the actions, thereby making it even more ghastly”.
The ministry said channels do not take the precaution of blurring the images or showing them from afar. It further highlighted that the manner of reporting such incidents is “distasteful and distressing for the audience”.
Ministry of I&B cautions TV channels against broadcasting disturbing footages, distressing images. Gory images of blood, dead bodies, physical assault are distressful, against Programme Code. No editing being done of violent videos being taken from social media by channels. pic.twitter.com/TZQyY6U0pE
— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2023
The advisory highlighted the adverse psychological effect of such coverage on children, pointing out that in some cases channels were guilty of invading privacy that could be “potentially maligning and defamatory”.
The ministry observed that in most cases the videos were taken from social media and broadcast without editorial discretion and modifications. It strongly advised private TV channels to comply with its Programme Code.
The department cited several “irresponsible” broadcasts such as showing distressing images of a cricketer injured in an accident, of a man dragging the body of a victim whose face is covered in blood, the brutal assault of a woman advocate etc.
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