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Caveat to news channels, demand raised for a comprehensive media council
New Delhi: With satellite news channels in the country attracting growing criticism over their content and slant of reporting as well as presentation, there is a need to upgrade the existing Press Council of India to Media Council of India so as to bring electronic media and rapidly upcoming digital media platforms under its ambit.
Media analysts have warned that exclusiveness of news channels because of their availability in television sets (where digital outlets are still invisible) in millions of households across the country will not sustain for long as new technological advancement is making it possible to offer the same space for selected and exclusive news based portals with full audio-visual content.
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Lately both Reliance Jio and Airtel have revised their broadband plans, offering unlimited data (read around 3.3 TB per month) to their customers. Jio Fibre and Airtel Xstream Fibre are seemingly offering 100 GB data per day which should be plenty for an Indian household for data consumption. Both the service providers are expected to offer hundreds of Indian news channels with sports, entertainment, educational, etc content related outlets. Even a number of news portals will be included in Jio and Airtel broadband plans helping them to showcase their content in television sets as well (without depending upon DTHs and cable operators).
Also read:
The crumbling fourth pillar – Part 1
The Crumbling Fourth Pillar – Part 2
“So it is high time to have a comprehensive Media Council armed with greater regulatory powers so that necessary guidelines can be formulated,” Rupam Barua, Journalists’ Forum Assam, said. Concurred Nava Thakuria, media activist and secretary of JFA: “The largest democracy should not waste further time in recognizing the news channels and news related portals under the domain of Working Journalist Act (of India).
It may be mentioned that many media forums, media educators and experts have been demanding a national media council to replace the Press Council of India, which they say has outlived its utility as it is only about newspapers. In the age of tv and digital media, they say there should be a comprehensive Constitutional provision for a Media Council of India. The demand has been renewed after the New Education Policy provided for setting up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a single overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. Media experts feel that the new media council can be created along the same line with many verticals.
– globalbihari bureau
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Good suggestion Government and concerned agencies should work on it