By Prarthana Mitra
Information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani said the government is planning a regulatory framework for online content, including news websites and social media, over the weekend.
In response to a question at the Rising India Summit about the possibility and feasibility of government intervention in curbing hate speech and fake news on social media, Irani pointed out that the online media has not been subjected to any clear legislation, licensing or censorship until now, unlike its broadcast and print counterparts.
Due to the difficulty in monitoring web content, the I&B ministry has deliberated with leading digital media agencies on the issue of providing their reporters with proper press credentials in the past, however, this is the first time the ministry has mentioned the development of an overall framework.
A regulatory framework for organisations
“There is a code of conduct they [TV, radio, newspapers] adhere to, everybody is licensed to function under the law”, Irani said at the summit. She added that the government is in talks with digital media stakeholders to chalk out a possible framework for monitoring news and opinions online.
The proposal for a new code of conduct, which will be mandatory upon agencies to follow, will not only affect the free reign that digital journalism has been allowed so far, but is also likely to deal a fresh blow to the Modi government’s already controversial relationship with censorship and media.
Muddying the waters
Irani did not go into the details of the new legislation but expressed the Centre’s decision to take up the cudgels against certain journalists and media personalities who often cross the fine line between news and views. In light of her controversial dealings with Prasar Bharati and her request to the news agency PTI on Twitter to delete a picture she thought was offensive, Irani mentioned the surge in defamatory comments on social media. She added that fake news had an ability to defame, something that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible, with a “delicate balance”.
I wonder why @smritiirani found this tweet offensive & had it removed. Why should I&B Minister be arm-twisting news agencies? #GundaRaj pic.twitter.com/RDi2pb8mAW
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) August 6, 2017
Irani cited the Press Council of India as an exemplar that remains “distinct from the government but is still self-regulatory enough to awaken its own conscience and take a decision that will bar such processes.” She added she hopes a “similar body” will also emerge for social media, especially in the news, opinion and entertainment context.
Also Read: Smriti Irani and the PTI lock horns again
Problematic intervention
Sevanti Ninan, editor of media watch agency The Hoot, said in an interview with The Wire that she thinks the minister’s comments are problematic. She added she thinks in treating news as an extension of social media, Irani has evaded the real question of the government’s role as “troll monitor”— equating opinionated journalism with fake trolls instead. Ninan added Irani is referring to news bias, and that “cannot be tackled through regulation without affecting freedom of speech.”
Additionally, another problem that stands in the way is that existing watchdogs for mainstream media like the Press Council often include representatives of the ruling party and are largely dependent on the government for financial grants, which robs them of a great deal of autonomy and freedom for the fourth estate.
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