New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has cautioned all television channels against broadcasting disturbing footage and distressing images. The Ministry on Monday issued an advisory to all television channels against reporting incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence including violence against women, children, and the elderly in a manner that grossly compromises good taste and decency. The advisory has been issued after the Ministry noticed several instances of lack of discretion by TV channels.
The Ministry said that television channels have shown dead bodies of individuals and images and videos of injured persons with blood splattered around, people, including women, children, and the elderly being beaten mercilessly in close shots, without taking the precaution of blurring the images. It has further highlighted that the manner of reporting such incidents is distasteful and distressing for the audience. It has stated that such reports might also have an adverse psychological impact on children.
The advisory underlined that there is also a crucial issue of invasion of privacy which could be potentially maligning and defamatory. It said, Television, is a platform usually watched by families in households with people from all cohorts – old aged, middle-aged, and small children.
The Ministry has observed that in most cases the videos are being taken from social media and broadcast without editorial discretion and modifications to ensure compliance and consistency with the Programme Code. It has strongly advised all private television channels to attune their systems and practices of reporting incidents of crime, accidents, and violence, including death in conformity with the Programme Code.
