The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has cautioned TV channels against telecasting gory images and dead bodies, citing the psychological impact of this on children.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 9, 2023 15:59 IST
The ministry advised all television channels against “distasteful” reporting of incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence. (Image for Representation)
By Sumit Kumar Singh: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Monday cautioned television channels against broadcasting disturbing footage and distressing images as it is causing a psychological impact on children and invading the privacy of victims. The government also warned the TV channels against “distressing coverage” of some crime stories.
The ministry said gory images of blood, dead bodies and physical assault are distressful and are against Programme Code. Issuing directives, the ministry advised all television channels against reporting incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence, including violence against women, children and elderly in manners which grossly compromises on “good taste and decency”.
“The advisory has been issued after several instances of lack of discretion by television channels were noticed…,” the ministry said.
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The ministry also has said that television channels have shown dead bodies of individuals and images/videos of injured persons with blood splattered around, people, including women, children and elderly, being beaten mercilessly in close shots, continuous cries and shrieks of a child being beaten by a teacher, shown repeatedly over several minutes including circling the actions thereby making it even more ghastly, without taking the precaution of blurring the images or showing them from long shots.
It has further highlighted that the manner of reporting such incidents is distasteful and distressing for the audience, the ministry said.
The advisory has highlighted the impact such reporting has on various audiences. It stated that such reports can also have an adverse psychological impact on children.
There is also a crucial issue of invasion of privacy which could be potentially maligning and defamatory, the advisory has underlined.
“Television, being a platform usually watched by families in households with people from all cohorts – old aged, middle aged, small children, etc., and with various socio-economic backgrounds, places a certain sense of responsibility and discipline among the broadcasters, which has been enshrined in the Programme Code and the Advertising Code,” the advisory stated.
The ministry has observed that in most cases the videos are being taken from social media and broadcast without editorial discretion and modifications to ensure compliance and consistency with the Programme Code.
Raising concern over such broadcasts and in view of the larger public interest involved and having regard to the nature of the audience of television channels including elderly, women and children, the Ministry has strongly advised all private television channels to attune their systems and practices of reporting incidents of crime, accidents and violence, including death in conformity with the Programme Code.
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