The Hindu : New Delhi News : Chameli Devi Awards given

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Saturday, Mar 31, 2007
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New Delhi

Chameli Devi Awards given

Staff Reporter

Press Council not meant to be "penal forum", says its Chairman at the function

NEW DELHI: Admitting that the Press Council of India has been described as a "toothless" organisation, its Chairman Justice G. N. Ray on Thursday clarified that the Council was not meant to be a "penal forum". Mr. Justice Ray was speaking at a panel discussion on "Media Accountability" organised at the presentation of the Chameli Devi Jain Awards for 2006.

"It is often alleged that the Press Council is a lame duck, but it should not be viewed from that aspect. It was set up with the thought that media should be guided by its own peers," he said.

Referring to the view that the Press Council needs more "teeth", Mr. Justice Ray said: " The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting has indicated that more teeth should be given... nothing has crystallised. It requires careful thinking, because media's freedom should not be thwarted, yet it should be taken to a correct path."

Women journalists awarded

Earlier, two women journalists, Nilanjana Bose of CNN IBN and Sreerekha who writes for Vanitha, a woman's fortnightly published by the Manorama Group from Kottayam, were presented the Chameli Devi Awards for 2006 for excellence in their field of work.

Panellists of the discussion accepted that media should adhere to the "right to reply" and afford the respondents a chance to state their version. Former Attorney-General for India Soli Sorabjee said while the media should be given "breathing space", there should be some mechanism for expedition of libel suits.

He said though the laws are not "lax", the time that lapses between the filing of a libel case and its discharge makes people see it as not worth it. Defamation cases, he said, make up for the bulk of complaints against the media.

He also disapproved of "media trials" and said once a court is seized of an issue, the media should refrain from playing the role of a parallel adjudicator.

"Media should educate, mobilise, but not judge. They cannot pronounce a person guilty while the case is pending in court," he said.

Taking a dig at commercialisation of media, the Editor of Down to Earth, Sunita Narain, said: " The role of the Government as an arm twister is out, it is the corporate bosses who arm-twist now. Political establishments are easy to target, but it is corporate corruption that has become an issue."

"There have been reports of the practice of cash for coverage having been noticed in the regional media especially during elections," said Sevanti Ninan, Editor of "Hoot", the only media-watch website in the country. She also regretted that while the number of newspapers and TV channels is on the rise, there has been no increase in the number of media accountability mechanisms

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