The Editors Guild Condemns Conduct of Media Houses

Chandan Sengupta

In a press communique, the Editors Guild of India has expressed their deep anguish about the irresponsible conduct of some national news channels for deliberately creating circumstances that target vulnerable communities by spewing hatred towards them and their beliefs.
A riot in Kanpur took place which was accompanied by an unprecedented trenchant reaction from many countries who were offended by the remarks of some party spokespersons. In their angry statements they wondered about India’s commitment to human rights and freedom of religion.
The incident that caused unnecessary embarrassment could have been avoided if some of the media houses had been mindful of the nation’s constitutional commitment to secularism, as well as the journalistic ethics and guidelines that the Press Council of India has issued to handle a volatile communal situation. Instead, some of the TV channels prompted by the desire to increase viewership and profit were seemingly inspired by the values of Radio Rwanda whose incendiary broadcast caused a genocide in the African nation.

The Editors Guild, though the press statement has demanded that these channels pause and take a critical look at what they have done by giving legitimacy to divisive and toxic voices that has made the national discourse coarse and the gap between communities unbridgeable. The EGI has also asked for stricter vigilance by broadcaster and journalist bodies to prevent a recurrence of this from taking place. The media is in place to strengthen the Constitution and the law and not break it through sheer irresponsibility and absence of accountability. Image courtesy: Indian Express