Dec, 18 : Broadcasters on Thursday came out with guidelines for telecast of news during emergency situations.TV channels have been advised against giving details of identity, number and status of hostages. They are also not to give information regarding pending rescue operations orthe number of security personnel involved or the methods employed by them. Releasing the guidelines at a press conference in New Delhi, Justice J S Verma, chairman of the News Broadcasting Standards Dispute Redressal Authority (NBSDRA), set up by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), said these are some broad guidelines, not meant to be exhaustive.
The guidelines say that there should be no live reporting that helps give publicity to any terrorist or militant outfit or its ideology to evoke sympathy for perpetrators of crime or glamourises their cause or advances their illegal agenda.
Media has also been forbidden unnecessary repeated or continuous broadcast of archival footage that may tend to reagitate the mind of the viewers. Archival footage, if shown, should clearly indicate ”File”.
The guidelines also say that live contact with victims or security personnel or other technical personnel involved or the perpetrators of crime should be avoided during the course of the incident.
The channels have also been asked to treat the dead with dignity and not to show their visuals. Special care should be taken in broadcasting visuals and graphics showing grief and emotional scenes.
All telecast of news relating to armed conflict, internal disturbance, communal violence, public disorder and other similar situation should be tested on the touchstone of public interest.’