Keeping in mind the fundamental standards for telecast of Mumbai terror attack-like situation, the News Broadcasters Association on Wednesday came out with a fresh set of specific guidelines focusing on impartiality, accuracy, fairness and neutrality while covering such incidents.
The guidelines decided during a meeting of the NBA authority, conducted by its chairman, former Chief Justice J S Verma, say news reporting should be done keeping the "public interest" in mind. Broadcasters, the new guidelines say, should exercise discretion and sensitivity while reporting on distressing situations.
"They should not disclose confidential information of operations involving national security. Broadcasters should also use discretion in reporting on operational methods used by perpetrators of serious offences against the State during the occurrence of the event. Also live interviews with perpetrators should not be aired," say the guidelines.
Stressing on accuracy, the new rules say information should be gathered first-hand from more than one source if possible. "Reports received from news agencies should be attributed and where possible be verified. Allegations should be reported as accurately as made. Errors of fact should be corrected at the earliest, giving sufficient prominence to the broadcast of the correct version of fact(s)."
Harping on balanced coverage, the rules say "broadcasters should remain neutral and ensure that diverse views are covered in their reporting, especially on controversial
subjects, without giving undue prominence to any particular view".
They also add that while editing content, broadcasters should ensure that there is no distortion of the facts and events being reported or of the views expressed.
Some of the points included in the new set of rules especially those on content related to broadcasting of content promoting supernatural activities and exorcism, however, are
the same as mentioned in the Emergency Protocol guidelines that had been issued by NBA late last year.
The new guidelines also call for avoidance of such programmes and also content which can cause distress to children. "Parental advisories should be used by broadcasters
relating to content containing anti-social behaviour, domestic friction, drug-use and sexual material," the rules say.
Calling upon broadcasters to respect privacy, the new guidelines also say they should exercise discretion and sensitivity when reporting on distressing situations on grief and bereavement.
"Content that would cause unwarranted distress to surviving family members, including by showing archival footage should be avoided. Also surreptitious recording of any
person or event should only be made without committing any illegality and if editorially justified," they say.
"Content should not depict techniques of crime that may tempt imitation, especially with reference to terrorism and suicide. Identities of victims should not be disclosed, and dead must be treated with respect, and no publicity should be given to the accused or witnesses that may interfere in the administration of justice or be prejudicial to a fair trial," say the rules.
On conduction of sting operations, the rules say they should be conducted only in "public interest" and they should be resorted to only when no other means is available to obtain the required information.
Also they say such operations should be conducted only when they are editorially justified for exposing wrong-doing.
"The managing director or the CEO of the broadcaster should be kept fully informed of any sting operation," the rules specify.
