By IANS
New Delhi : If the government has its way, the broadcasting regulatory bill that will impose controls on what can be beamed by news channels on TV will be introduced in the monsoon session of parliament.
Information and broadcasting ministry secretary Asha Swarup said this here Wednesday, hoping that the broadcasting regulatory authority of India would be set up "soon after the bill is passed".
The ministry has revised the draft of the content code for news channels and will present it to industry representatives Friday, Swarup said while delivering the keynote address to the first-ever Indian News Television Summit organised by indiantelevision.com.
News channels have strongly opposed the bill.
But Swarup said the ongoing debate in the media about the desirability of having a broadcasting regulator was delaying the bill and the setting up of the authority, but added: "The debate should happen. We are talking to broadcasters. However, the facts are not always being represented as they are."
She assured news television channels that there would be "no meddling in the methodology of news gathering". Lately there has been a lot of debate on whether sting operations undertaken by news TV channels should be banned.
"But the right to privacy should be respected," Swarup said. She urged the channels to "look at the larger public interest dimension".
Expressing concern about "the role of media in repeating old stories, particularly during riots", Swarup pointed out that even the Supreme Court had been worried about this and had taken up the matter.
Swarup also pointed out that television news was for educated and illiterate audiences alike, and that "calls for self-discipline. Any damage done can't be undone post facto".
She urged news television channels to work on the basis of four principles – "decency and civility; right to privacy; family viewing and concern for minors". She wanted the channels to "avoid shocking or misleading the audience".
Stressing the importance of accuracy and impartiality in news presentation "so that the viewer understands all the main points", Swarup wanted the channels to "give precedence to facts over comments and analysis".