NBDSA orders on news programmes of Zee News, News18 India, Asianet News

The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) gave its rulings on complaints received against certain news programmes of three news channels – Zee News, News18 India, and Asianet News.

Most of these news programmes were on sensitive socio-communal developments, such as election results and The Kashmir Files angle (Zee News), the Birbhum violence and silence of a certain section of the India population (Zee News), the Karnataka Hijab row (Zee News and News18 India), as well as prime-time Daily News & Analysis (DNA) news programme on Zee News by Sudhir Chaudhary, who quit as Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Zee News, WION, Zee Business, Zee 24 Taas last month.

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The complaint received against Asianet News concerned a news programme on breaking of Covid protocols by a Kerala-based nursing college.

Asianet News

Complainant Prof Ann Mary Louis stated that on 6.5.2021, around 9.30 am, an Asianet reporter, along with his colleague, came to St. John’s College of Nursing, Kattappana, and encroached into the college office when she was alone in the office complex. Without obtaining any permission, they took various visuals of her and the female students in the college. Subsequently, a news programme was aired on the Asianet news channel and on social media, in which her version was manipulated by the broadcaster through editing.

It its reply, the broadcaster stated that it had aired a news item regarding the blatant violation of pandemic rules by the complainant’s organization after receiving official complaints from the students of the college. Before approaching it, the broadcaster stated that the students had already raised their complaint before the Idukki District Collector and before the Police authorities, which include the officials of the Kattappana Police station.

NBDSA noted that the subject matter of the complaint pending before it was on the same issue as the criminal case filed before the Hon’ble Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court- I, Kattappana, Idukki District, Kerala. 

In view of the above, NBDSA noted that under Regulations 7.2 read with Regulation 8.4.3 of the News Broadcasting Standards Regulations, it is not permissible or appropriate to take up matters in respect of which any proceeding is pending in a Court of law or other Tribunal or Statutory Authority. Therefore, NBDSA decided to defer the decision in the complaint until the matter is decided by the Court. NBDSA decided to inform the complainant and the broadcaster accordingly.

News18 India

The complaint was regarding the show titled ‘Toh hijab ke liye bam barsenge?/ Danke ki chot par’, aired on February 15, 2022, on News18 India. The complainant Citizens for Justice and Peace stated that the entire show was based on false news and was aired with the intention of misinforming the viewers, spreading hatred and demeaning the Muslim community.

It its reply, the broadcaster denied all the allegations made in the complaint and clarified that its program was consistent with the basic principles of journalism as per NBDSA’s guidelines/ advisories and applicable laws. It pointed out that the controversy around the wearing of a Hijab in educational institutions has been gaining a lot of political and judicial attention lately. While the Courts are yet to completely adjudicate on the issue, The broadcaster felt that it was important for it to discuss and debate this issue, which posed a public interest issue.

NBDSA considered the complaint, response from the broadcaster and also gave due consideration to the arguments of the complainant and the broadcaster and viewed the footage of the broadcast. It observed that since the issues raised in the programme were of serious nature and had serious implications, the broadcaster should have waited to obtain a clarification from the Police or Government Authorities or conducted a proper investigation and verified the news from different sources before telecasting the programme.

NBDSA decided to issue a warning to the broadcaster not to hold such debates without verifying the facts and therefore, directed that the video of the said broadcast, if still available on the website of the channel, or YouTube, or any other links, should be removed immediately, and the same should be confirmed to NBDSA in writing within 7 days of receipt of the Order.