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South Asia editors call for restraint by media

NEW DELHI: Alarmed by the tone and tenor of the media coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks and the subsequent stalemate between India and Pakistan, editors from South Asia on Wednesday called for restraint by the Fourth Estate.

A score of editors have signed a statement urging media professionals – particularly those working with television networks – to observe restraint in “reportage and interpretation.” Expressing concern over the fallout of the rising India-Pakistan tension on the region, they said the media should avoid imbalance.

According to the statement, the media coverage influenced opinion on crucial issues and impacted the political stance and policies of the authorities.

“In the current situation, the media cannot be seen as being partisan or driven by a particular agenda,” it said.

The signatories include Mahfuz Anam of Daily Star, Dhaka, Sumit Chakravarty (Mainstream, New Delhi), Dileep Chandan (Asom Bani, Guwahati), Kanak Mani Dixit (Himal Southasia, Kathmandu), H. K. Dua (The Tribune, Chandigarh), Yubaraj Ghimire (Newsfront, Kathmandu), Rehana Hakim (Newsline, Karachi), Nurul Kabir (The New Age, Dhaka), Kumar Ketkar (Loksatta, Mumbai), Abbas Nasir (The Dawn/Dawn News TV, Karachi), Mrinal Pande of (Hindustan, New Delhi), Pradip Phanjoubam (Imphal Free Press, Imphal) and Narayan Wagle (Dainiki, Kathmandu).

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South Asia editors call for restraint by media

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