The Press Council of India wants "more teeth in press laws" to control and curb unethical journalism. The PCI chairman GN Ray said in Kolkata on Monday that there was a trend towards the "trivialisation, marginalisation and extreme commercialisation" of news and the PCI should have additional powers to achieve the desired control.
Speaking on the occasion of the launch of a magazine, Krishi Udyog, at the Press Information Bureau, Ray said "It is important that the control be imposed by the journalistic fraternity itself, rather than being dictated by external forces." The PCI had played a key role in denouncing unethical practices in journalism.
However, quite often, erring journalists refuse to conform to PCI guidelines."It is then that strong coercive measures are needed to make them tow the line, and it is better if it comes from one's peers," said Ray. He said any additional powers to the PCI can only be possible if there is a strong political will at the Centre.
"The proceedings of the media or the Fourth Estate are not monitored by any outside forces but the Council itself works internally as a monitoring body in regulating whatever is published or shown to the masses," said Ray. It is essential that more "teeth" be given to the Council so that it is able to act instead of being a mere watchdog, he added, the Statesman reported.
He proposed that the Council should be given the power to prevent photographs and advertisements "that affect our morality" from being published in newspapers and magazines or from being broadcast through the electronic media, he said. An amendment to the Press Council Act is thus the need of the hour, Ray added.
