The advisory cautions against publishing or broadcasting any content that may be false or manipulated and content that could disturb communal harmony or public order.
Digital Desk: Ahead of the Ram temple's consecration in Ayodhya on January 22, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory to all news media, including print, digital, and social media platforms. The advisory cautions against publishing or broadcasting any content that may be false or manipulated and content that could disturb communal harmony or public order.
“It is observed that certain unverified, provocative and fake messages are being spread, especially on social media, which can disturb communal harmony and public order,” the advisory read.
“The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January 2024 across India. It is observed that certain unverified, provocative and fake messages are being spread, especially on social media, which can disturb communal harmony and public order,” read the advisory, released on Friday.
It further stated that the following provisions of the Press Council of India's Press Council Act, 1978, and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act, 1995, are called for attention in this regard.
The "tone, spirit and language" of newspaper articles cannot be "provocative, against the unity and integrity of the country, the spirit of the constitution, seditious and inflammatory in nature or designed to promote communal disharmony," as per the Norms of Journalistic Conduct, which digital news publishers are also required to abide by.
Newspapers must also restrain and be cautious about publishing any news that “is likely to jeopardise, endanger or harm the paramount interests of the State and society or the rights of individuals concerning which reasonable restrictions may be imposed by law on the right to freedom of speech and expression under clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution of India”, the advisory stated.
“Further, as part of their due diligence obligations, social media platforms are advised to make reasonable efforts to not host, display or publish information of the nature mentioned above,” the advisory read.
According to rule 6 of the Programme Code, news channels are forbidden from broadcasting anything that “contains an attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes; Contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths; is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes”.
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