According to sources the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a press circular in which it stated that the accreditation of journalists who generate 'fake news' will be suspended temporarily or terminated permanently. Meanwhile the ministry's move witnessed severe backlash from the Fourth Estate, opposition parties and freethinkers who described it as an attack on the freedom of press.
Further after quickly realizing the intensifying backlash, PM Narendra Modi cancelled the controversial order. Meanwhile the PMO's office said that any concerns regarding 'fake news' should be addressed only by the Press Council of India. Moreover following Modi's press release, I&B Minister Smriti Irani tweeted that she is ready to work with the press community to fight fake news and uphold ethical journalism.
Moreover in a recent press release, the ministry
had given out a set of guidelines in which it said that a journalist's
accreditation will be suspended for 6 months if he or she peddles fake news
once. Furthermore the ministry further said that the 'fake news' will be
referred to the Press Council of India (PCI) if it pertains to the print media
and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) if the news pertains to the
electronic media.
