The Hindu : Front Page : Set up common, independent commission to regulate functioning of entire media: G.N. Ray

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Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
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Set up common, independent commission to regulate functioning of entire media: G.N. Ray

Prakash Kamat

PANAJI: Expressing unhappiness over what he called “trivialisation, corporatisation and tampering of news taking place everywhere,” the chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI) Justice (retd.) G. N. Ray, has advocated the setting up of a common and independent media commission to regulate the functioning of the entire media, including the fast-growing electronic media which is now beyond the purview of the PCI.

Addressing journalists here on Friday after a two-day meeting of the Council which, incidentally, was the last meeting before the Council is reconstituted, Mr. Ray said he had recommended to the government that the common regulatory body could be the PCI itself; if not, a media commission which would regulate and look into the problems of the entire media more seriously.

The regulatory body must, however, be “thoroughly insulated,” so that it could function in an independent manner.

The importance of the electronic media could not be underestimated and, as such, it was high time that this too was brought under a regulatory authority because ethics and morality could not be different for the print and the electronic media.

He advised the government not to follow a different policy. “Kindly do not control the electronic media yourself, regulate it with a board comprising peers of the media fraternity,” he said.

To a question, Mr. Ray said he did not subscribe to the view that the Press Council lacked teeth. “I believe introspection should come from within,” but with the passage of time, the PCI indeed felt the need for more powers for its proper functioning, he added.

Mr. Ray opposed penal provisions such as stopping a publication, which could amount to pre-censorship, but wanted the publications facing censure to publish the judgment or censure by the PCI on the front page or a conspicuous page. He was not for any kind of censorship prior to publication, which could threaten the independence of the media.

He said it was unfortunate that one or two sting operations in recent times had brought shame to the country and, as such, they needed to be condemned.

However, there should not be any pre-censorship for the electronic media too.

At the same time, nobody should go unregulated, he emphasised and pointed out that the number of complaints was increasing day by day.

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