PRESS RELEASE

PR/18/2009-10-PCI                                                                                                                                                                                                         Dated 4.3.2010

 

Press Council Censures Rana Pratap and Lok Sewa, Ludhiana

 

          The Press Council which met at New Delhi on February 22, 2010 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Mr. Justice G.N. Ray censured Rana Pratap and Lok Sewa of Ludhiana, Punjab; warned Andhra Bhoomi and Vaartha, Hyderabad and Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, Noida; and cautioned Times of India and Metro Now, New Delhi for violating the norms of journalistic conduct and misusing the press freedom. The Press Council adjudicated 27 complaints against the press and 13 complaints by the press against the authorities. Censuring the Editors, Rana Pratap and Lok Sewa of Ludhiana in a complaint filed by Shri Surinder Pal & Others, Advocates of Ludhiana for publication of unauthorized advertisements and raising bogus bills by the respondent newspapers, the Council observed that the respondents had in past also been brought before the Council with similar charges of publication of unauthorized advertisements by lifting them from another magazine and demanding payment for such advertisements, and had failed to defend the same. The Council found that the acts of the respondents were not only against the journalistic conduct but also illegal. Furthermore, both the periodicals were not in conformity with Section 11 and Section 9(d) of the Press & Registration of Books Act, 1867.

          In a complaint filed by the Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Social Welfare Department, Hyderabad the Council warned Andhra Bhoomi and Vaartha of Hyderabad and their correspondents under the provisions of Section 14(1) of the Press Council act, 1978 for violating of norms of journalistic conduct by publishing name of the tribal girl student and thereby identifying her as one subjected to forced abortion. Taking reference to the guidelines issued by it and also the restraint mentioned by laws in identifying minor girl victim of abuse, the Council condemned the action of the respondents as well as their stringers for their carelessness and directed the respondent editors to publish unqualified apology giving gist of the laps without mentioning the name of the victim and to appropriately deal with disciplinary action against the erring reporters. In another complaint filed against Rozanama Rashtriya Sahara, an Urdu daily of Noida for publication of allegedly defamatory and baseless advertisement (public notice) related to a property, the Council warned the respondent newspaper for absence of due scrutiny in accepting the advertisements and thereafter failing to take sufficient timely remedial steps.

In two different complaints filed against the Times of India and Metro Now, New Delhi for alleged negative portrayal of women by publishing nude/scantily clad women, the Council cautioned the respondents for publishing photographs that go against the generally accepted standards of morality in the Indian context. The Council felt that the Times of India did not act carefully in selecting for publication photographs that were intended for an adult magazine and thus a totally different readership. The Council agreed that in a fast moving world, the social outlooks also cannot remain static but every social entity is guided by some core tenets and values, which keep the people rooted. It advised the newspapers to self regulate in observing necessary restraint.