Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the apex court on regulating media with a body that handles complaints against those spewing communally incendiary news, hate speech and fake information, according to a report published in NDTV. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the union government seeking a response on the PIL.
It also sought a platform that would look into the legal framework of media business.
The bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramaniam after taking the cognizance of the PIL also sought response from Press Council of India (PCI), National Broadcasters Standards Authority (NBSA), New Broadcasters federation (NBF), Press Trust of India (PTI) and News Broadcasters Associations (NBA).
Film maker Nilesh Navlakha and civil engineer Nitin Memane filed the PIL stating self-regulation can't solve the present situation in media.
"Unregulated media promotes hate speech and fake news and violates citizens Right to Fair Information under Article 19...There has to be a balance between the right to freedom of speech and expression of the media business and the competing right to information of the citizens," reads the PIL.
In the PIL, they have also sought to form a committee comprising of former CJI or the judge of SC to review legal framework and suggest guidelines for media.
The PIL says the lack of accountability of electronic media that has power and impetus to set the country ablaze with their hateful discourse. It has been added in the PIL, "Over the past few years, media trials, hate speech, propaganda news, and paid news have become the order of the day, thereby, impeding the right to a fair trial of victims and right to fair and proportionate reporting."