Lok Sabha Question No. 385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-19
Subject: Telecast of Fake News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: NISHIKANT  DUBEY, RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY, RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 385 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19/07/2018

## TELECAST OF FAKE NEWS

## 385.   SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY: SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY: PROF. RAVINDRA VISHWANATH GAIKWAD:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that fake news on a large scale are being telecast by various television channels in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has reviewed the fake news telecast by private news  channels  in  the  country  during  the  last  three  years  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) the number of cases of fake news telecast reported during the said period along with the action taken by the Government thereon; and
- (d) the  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  curb  fake news?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

(a)  to  (d).  As  per  existing  regulatory  framework,  content  telecast  on  private satellite TV channels is regulated as per Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,  1995  and  Cable  Television  Network  Rules,  1994  framed thereunder.   The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.  However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements telecast  on  such TV  channels  should  be  in  conformity  with  the prescribed  Programme  Code  and  Advertising  Code  enshrined  in  the  aforesaid Act and the rules framed thereunder (The Programme and Advertising Codes are available  on  the  Ministry's  website:  www.mib.nic.in).  The  said  Codes  contain  a wide range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements including the content considered to be fake news on TV channels.  In this regard, specific provision made in the Programme Code is given as under:

'Rule 6 1(d) provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service  which  contains  anything  obscene,  defamatory,  deliberate,  false  and suggestive innuendos and half-truths.'

The  Ministry  has  set  up  Electronic  Media  Monitoring  Centre  (EMMC)  to monitor  the  content  of  private  TV  channels  with  reference  to  the  violation  of Programme  and  Advertising  Codes.  An  Inter-Ministerial  Committee (IMC) has

also been set up in the Ministry to take cognizance suo-moto or look into specific complaints  regarding  violation  of  the  Programme  and  Advertising  Codes  by private TV channels. The IMC has representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Information & Broadcasting and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The  IMC  meets  periodically  and  recommends  action  in  respect  of  violation  of Programme and Advertising Codes by private TV channels . Apart from this, the Ministry has also issued directions to States to set up District level and State level Monitoring Committees to monitor content telecast on cable TV channels.

Action  is  taken  against  TV  channels  whenever  any  violation  of  the aforesaid  Programme  and  Advertising  Codes  is  established.    Ministry  usually decides  and  takes  action keeping  in view the recommendations  of  IMC. Details of action taken against TV channels for violation of  Rule 6 (1)(d) of the Programme Code by private satellite TV channels  during the last three years and the current year is enclosed at Annexure.

Besides  above,  Government  has  also  encouraged  self-regulation in electronic  media  by  Broadcasting  Industry.    News  Broadcasters  Association (NBA) which represents some private news and   current affairs TV channels, as part of its self-regulatory mechanism, has set up News Broadcasting Standards Authority  (NBSA)  to  consider  complaints  against  or  in  respect  of  broadcasters relating to content of any news and current affairs telecast on TV channels.  NBA has also formulated a Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards covering a wide range of principles to self-regulate news broadcasting.  The Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards  lay down, inter-alia, that the purpose of putting together the principles of self-regulation is to avoid compromising the genre of television news by broadcasting content that  is    malicious,  biased,  regressive,  knowingly inaccurate,  hurtful,  misleading,  or  aimed  at  wilfully  concealing  a  conflict  of interest.    NBA  has also issued an advisory dated 12.5.2016 to its members on the  issue  of  fake  news.    Through  this  advisory,  NBSA  has  informed  all  its members that manufacturing, doctoring, tailoring, tutoring  or creating any kind of false  or  fake  news  or  any  attempt  to  do  so  by  any  editor,  anchor,  reporter, stringer,  employee  or  associate  of  a  broadcaster,  or  any  attempt  to  coerce, threaten and browbeat any person or institution, or to extract false or distorted statements or allegations will be considered as serious misconduct on the part of the broadcaster, irrespective of whether any 'feed' or 'report' so generated/created  is  aired  or  not.  It  also  reminded  them  to  brief,  teach  and inculcate ethical  standards  to  its  new  employees  (anchors,  reporters  and stringers)  and  also  to  hold  refresher  sessions  about  the  same  for  the  existing employees periodically.

The existing provisions contained in the Programme & Advertising Codes and  the  existing  mechanism  are  considered  adequate  to  regulate  content  of private satellite TV channels including fake news.

*********

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE  AS  REFERRED  TO  IN  PARTS  (a)  to  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 385  FOR 19.07.2018

Action Taken by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on violation of Rule  6(1)  (d)  of  the  Programme  Code  by  Private  Satellite  News  channels during the last three years and the current year.

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Channel   | Reason for Show Cause Notice                                                                                                                           | Details of action taken                                                                                                              |
|-----------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | All News Channels     | Telecast of documentary programme India's Daughter                                                                                                     | An Advisory dated 03.03.2015 was issued to the all News channels restraining not to telecast the said documentary programme.         |
|         2 | TV9                   | Telecast a 'Bullet News' political satire targeting Chief Minister of Telangana.                                                                       | An order was issued on 27.03.2015 to the channel for running apology scroll.                                                         |
|         3 | Sathiyam TV           | Telecast of objectionable programme 'Ungal Aseervatha Seram' and Paarthathum Padithathum by Sathiyam TV                                                | A warning dated 12.05.2015 was issued to the channel.                                                                                |
|         4 | Sudarshan News        | Telecast of a programme called BINDAAS BOL making allegation about non- salutation of National Flag on the Republic Day by the Hon'ble Vice President. | A warning dated 17.06.2015 was issued to the channel.                                                                                |
|         5 | DY 365                | Telecast of News story defaming the image of MLA and denigrating women.                                                                                | A order dated 07.08.2015 was issued to the channel thereby warning the channel and directing it to run an apology scroll for one day |
|         6 | News Time Assam       | Telecast of News story defaming the image of MLA and denigrating women.                                                                                | A order dated 2.11.2016 was issued to the channel to prohibit the transmission or re- transmission of the channel for one day .      |