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Ensuring an ethical news media

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August 22, 2017

What is the issue?

The news media is under threat due to various internal factors.

What are the problems in this regard?

  • Paid news had been a long debated issue that was used to describe malpractices in newspapers.
  • This is now being rephrased into “advertorial” content to legitimise and blur the distinction between reportage and paid content.
  • Ex: A government policy keeps appearing in news in the form of advertisements from the known beneficiary of that policy.These in essence are politicised news.
  • The prevalence of bribed reporters, lobbying senior editors and politically biased journalists questions the legitimacy and ethics of the news media.
  • Corporates have huge financial stakes and significant control over print or visual media.
  • This has allegedly led to blurring of distinction between managerial/ownership activities and editorial jurisdiction.
  • It is also being the cause for corruption and conflict of interest which are increasingly operating in the news media.
  • TRP (Television Rating Point) and sensationalism are being the driving factors as they determine the advertising revenue.
  • The legislative and regulatory  powers of the Press Council of India (PCI) is inadequate to take stringent measures against all these.

What should be done?

  • Some ownership restrictions on cross holdings and aggregate holdings have to be legislated.
  • Legislation must also define the distinctions between managerial and editorial departments to avoid conflict of interest.
  • Working on labour standards to let journalists work without fear of retribution, to refuse any form of work that infringes upon their professional codes or conscience is essential.
  • Creating genuinely independent and transparent systems for assessing circulation and ratings of media is needed.
  • Introducing internal systems for disclosing potential conflicts of interest and to deal with complaints.

 

Source: The Hindu

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