I&B Ministry’s Strong Advisory To TV Channels Over ‘Provocative Headlines, Unverified Claims’

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday issued a strong advisory to TV news channels, asking them to refrain from making false claims and using provocative headlines.

The ministry asked the channels to adhere to provisions of Section 20 of The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, including the Programme Code under it.

The ministry took particular exception to coverage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the violence in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, finding that several channels covered events in a manner which appear to be “unauthentic, misleading, sensational, using socially unacceptable language and remarks, offending good taste and decency, obscene, defamatory and having communal overtones”.

While reporting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the ministry found channels using “scandalous headlines unrelated to the news item and journalists making unsubstantiated and fabricated claims and using hyperbole to incite the audience”.

On Delhi violence, certain channels aired news with provocative headlines and videos of violence that may incite communal hatred and disrupt peace and law and order, it said.

The ministry cautioned TV channels against broadcasting debates having unparliamentary, provocative and socially unacceptable language, communal remarks and derogatory references.