Katju continues campaign against visual media

Katju continues campaign against visual media

In a bid to make news channels accountable, Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Markandey Katju has written to the apex body controlling electronic media to suggest whether it was open for scrutiny under the Lokpal.

The PCI has jurisdiction over print media alone while there is no body to hold electronic media accountable. In a letter to the National Broadcasters Association (NBA) - the apex body of television channels, Justice Katju wrote that self-regulation was no regulation. Dismissing the self-regulation rule adopted by TV channels, Katju said, “News channels are private bodies whose activities have a large influence on the public and they also must be answerable to the public…How can electronic channels say that they are not accountable to anyone but themselves?”

Katju even asked NBA Secretary NK Singh if the association was willing to be placed under the Lokpal. He said, “Even judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts do not have that absolute right (of self-regulation).” Lawyers and doctors too can face suspension or cancellation of license for professional misconduct. “Why then should you object to being placed under the Lokpal or some other regulatory authority,” Katju asked.

The Chairman further wished to enquire the logic behind the news channels claiming privilege of self-regulation. The letter said, “You claim the right of self-regulation. By the same logic, politicians and bureaucrats will also claim the right of self-regulation. Or do you claim to be so ‘doodh ka dhula’ (clean as milk) that you should not be regulated by anyone else except yourself?” Attacking the media for hyping the Anna Hazare agitation, Katju further pointed out instances of paid news and the Radia tapes to stress that time had come to hold channels accountable.