Dikhyaa Mohanty 
On Monday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a warning to all television stations not to cover events of accidents, fatalities, and violence, particularly violence against women, children, and the old, in ways that contradict “good taste and decency”. The recommendation was made after the Ministry saw multiple instances of television broadcasters’ lack of judgment.
According to the Ministry, television channels have shown dead bodies and images/videos of injured people with blood splattered around, people, including women, children, and the elderly, being mercilessly beaten in close shots, continuous cries and shrieks of a child being beaten by a teacher, shown repeatedly over several minutes, including circling the actions, thereby making it even more ghastly, without taking the precaution of blurring the images or shoving them.
It has also been stated that the way in which such instances are reported is disgusting and disturbing to the viewers. The advisory has emphasized the importance of such reporting to varied audiences. According to research, such tales might have a negative psychological influence on youngsters.
There is also a crucial issue of invasion of privacy which could be potentially maligning and defamatory, the advisory has underlined. Television, being a platform usually watched by families in households with people from all cohorts – old aged, middle-aged, small children, etc., and with various socio-economic backgrounds, place certain sense of responsibility and discipline among the broadcasters, which have been enshrined in the Programme Code and the Advertising Code.
The Ministry has observed that in most cases the videos are being taken from social media and broadcast without editorial discretion and modifications to ensure compliance and consistency with the Programme Code.
