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| Media guidelines for covering terror | | | Agencies
New Delhi, Dec 18: National Broadcasting Association (NBA) on Thursday announced new guidelines for the electronic media, to be followed in times of crisis like the situation that arose during the Mumbai terror attacks. As per the new rules, there would be a complete ban on live TV reporting of terrorist attacks.
Moreover, news channels cannot divulge details –during an ongoing operation- such as the number of hostages or their identity.
Apparently, concerned about the situation where critical operational information was divulged by the media, like the visuals of commandoes being airdropped during the Nariman House stand off, the new guidelines prohibits revealing anything about rescue operations.
The NBA also said that media should also avoid contact with victims. For example, the Mumbai terror attacks victims were hounded by TV reporters desperate for a bite disrespecting the mental trauma the victims had just gone through.
The repeated screening of gory images showing blood or badly injured people has also been banned.
NBA said there should not be any facilitation to the terrorists’ cause by media’s insistence on live reporting. Prescribing caution, NBA chief Justice J S Verma said, “Media plays an important role in the society. Especially Indian media’s role is laudable. However, it is better to self-regulate rather than having someone else to tell you what to do.”
However he went onto add that the regulations have nothing to do with Mumbai terror attacks. “We have contemplated these regulations much before the 26/11 attacks. Unfortunately, the Mumbai incident happened, so we have to wait a bit more,” Verma said.
This is the first such step to help the media self-regulate, he pointed out.
Ahead an official announcement, Annie Joseph, secretary-general of the News Broadcasters Association, said: "Our guidelines have previously referred to national security but the Mumbai episode was unprecedented."
She said that, although the NBA could not force member stations to comply with the rules, it was "in the stations' (news channels) interest" to follow them.
Similar regulations are already in place in the United States, Britain and Canada.
There was a mixed reaction to Indian television news channels for their coverage of the Mumbai siege, with one channel broadcasting a telephone conversation with two of the gunmen who killed 183 people over three days.
Meanwhile, a press release issued on Wednesday by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Government of India said: “Keeping in mind the public interest and interest of national security, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting had directed all the news & current affairs TV channels to ensure that the coverage of the incidents relating to the recent terrorists attack in Mumbai does not focus on or report the location, strength, movement strategy or any related operations being followed by the security forces engaging with the terrorists as it may jeopardize their position.”
“The channels had also been directed that close-ups and images of blood or seriously wounded or disfigured limbs or bodies or images of dead or seriously wounded people which may seriously distress a substantial number of viewers or cause panic and incite further violence may not be carried,” the release added.
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