Lok Sabha Question No. 2975 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-04
Subject: Suspension of Newspapers from Receiving Advertisements
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: JAY PRAKASH NARAYAN YADAV, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, LAKHAN LAL SAHU, OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2975 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.01.2018

## SUSPENSION OF NEWSPAPERS FROM RECEIVING ADVERTISEMENTS

## 2975. SHRI JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN YADAV:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL: SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU: SHRI OM BIRLA:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has suspended 51 newspapers from receiving Government advertisements and if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (b) the data as to number of dailies/media representatives against which action has been taken by the Government on the charges of 'paid news' and breaching 'the norms of journalistic ethics' during the last three years;
- (c) whether the private news media and multi-social media are broadcasting fake news these days;
- (d) if so, the number of such cases brought into the notice of the Government during the last three years and the current year and the action taken by the Government against the persons found guilty as well as TV channels to multi-social media;
- (e) whether the Government has evolved any mechanism to weed out fake news spread through electronic, print and social media and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  have  a  comprehensive  mechanism,  uniform, guidelines, regulation and policy regarding restriction of fabricated content/fake news on electronic, print and social media?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

(a) & (b) The complaints regarding breach of 'Norms of Journalistic Conduct' and paid news in  respect  of  newspapers  are  examined  by  Press  Council  of  India  (PCI).    After  examining such complaints, PCI has censured 61 newspapers for violation of these norms, during last three years. This includes 51 newspapers which were censured by PCI in 2017, which were accordingly suspended from DAVP empanelment on 13.09.2017 for two months.

- (c) & (d) Instances of circulation of fake news on social media and private TV channels come to the notice of Government from time to time.

Instances of inflammatory, harmful and hateful content on social networking sites is brought to the notice of Government by Security/ Intelligence Agencies and action in such cases  is  taken  under  the  provisions  of  Information  Technology  Act,  2000  in  the  overall interest  of  sovereignty  and  integrity  of  India,  defense  of  India,  Security  of  state,  friendly relation with foreign countries or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence in such matters.   On case to case basis, social media platform are approached for removal of specific objectionable content coming to the notice of Government. However, the data regarding incidences on fake news/rumors on social media and action taken thereon are not maintained centrally and are available with security agencies of the State Governments.

In  so  far  as  Private  Satellite  TV  Channels  are  concerned,  the  cases  of  broadcast  of fake news are dealt under the provisions of Rule 6(1)(d) of the Programme Codes under Rule 6 of the 'Cable Television Network Rules, 1994' which provides that no programme should be carried in the Cable service which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths. In this regard, six cases have been brought into the notice of the Government during the last three years and the current  year for violating the Programme  Code  by  Private  Satellite  News  Channels.  These  channels  have  been  issued advisory / warned or issued orders directing to run apology scroll or prohibit the transmission / re-transmission of the channel for one day.

(e)  &  (f)  There    exists  a  comprehensive  mechanism  for  regulation  of  content  in  Print, Electronic and Social Media to address the problem of fake news, briefly details as follows:-

-  For  regulation  of  content  in  Print  Media,  Press  Council  of  India  (PCI)  has  laid  down 'Norms of Journalistic Conduct', to be adhered to by Print Media as a self-regulatory mechanism. Action on complaints of printing of fake news in newspapers is taken by PCI as per the provisions of Press Council Act, 1978.
-  Similarly  for  Electronic  Media  content  is  regulated  as  per  the  provisions  of  Cable Television  Networks  (Regulation)  Act,  1995  and  Cable  Television  Network  Rules, 1994.  Besides there is a self-regulation mechanism for TV news channels through News Broadcasting  Standards  Authority  (NBSA)  of  News  Broadcasters  Association  (NBA) and Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC)  of Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). NBA monitors its member TV channels for broadcasting fake news. Besides this, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set up Electronic Media Monitoring  Centre  (EMMC)  to  monitor  the  content  of  private  TV  channels  with reference to the violation of Programme Code. An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) has  also  been  set  up  to  look  into  specific  complaints  regarding  violation  of  the programme code by private TV channels.

For regulation of content on social media, Information Technology Act, 2000 has a provision for removal of objectionable online content.  Also the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2011 under Section 79 of the IT Act requires that the Intermediaries shall observe due diligence while discharging their duties and shall inform the users of computer resources  not  to  host,  display,  upload,  modify,  publish,  transmit,  update  or  share  any information that is harmful, objectionable, affect minors and unlawful in any way.

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