Tharoor-led Parliamentary panel to govt: form Media Council with statutory powers

Shashi Tharoor-led Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has expressed displeasure over ethical standards in the media.

The Indian Express reported that the panel has recommended that the government set up a Media Council, on the lines of the Press Council of India, with statutory powers over print, television and digital media platforms.

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In its report on ‘Ethical Standards in Media Coverage’, which was submitted to Parliament on Wednesday, the committee said that current regulatory bodies like the PCI and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority are not as effective, that their “efficacy is limited” and the NBSA, a self-regulatory body, “depends on voluntary compliance with its orders”.

The committee said it is “of the firm opinion that PCI needs restructuring to cover all types of media” and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting “should explore the possibility of establishing a wider Media Council, encompassing not just the print media but the electronic and digital media as well, and equip it with statutory powers to enforce its orders where required”.