'No Democracy Is Fighting Covid-19 Pandemic By Gagging Its Media': Editor's Guild Of India To Centre

Centre, had on April 1, sought directions from the Supreme Court for the media houses not to publish, print or telecast anything without first confirming it from the concerned authorities.

The Guild said it believes for sure that the media must be responsible, free and fair. (Representative Image/ Getty)

New Delhi: In the wake of Central government's allegations, in Supreme Court, blaming media for creating a panic among the migrant workers leading to their mass movement during the nationwide lockdown, the apex body of print journalists in the country Editor's Guild on Thursday said that it was deeply perturbed by the submission made by Modi government. Releasing an official statement, the Guild pointed out that this led the apex court to observe that while it didn’t want to inhibit the debate on the pandemic in any way, the media should refer to and publish the official version of the developments pertaining to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Centre, had on April 1, sought directions from the Supreme Court for the media houses not to publish, print or telecast anything without first confirming it from the concerned authorities, keeping in view the sensitivity of the news regarding COVID-19 in the country.

The Editors Guild of India has issued a statement pic.twitter.com/eCYKoY73BO

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) April 2, 2020

"The Guild would state in all humility that it holds the court in the highest respect, but finds this advice gratuitous and unnecessary," the official statement read. Further in its letter, the Editor's Guild also asserted the fact that blaming media at this juncture can only undermine the current work being done by it under trying circumstances. "Such charges can also obstruct in the process of dissemination of news during an unprecedented crisis facing the country. No democracy anywhere in the world is fighting the pandemic by gagging its media," the Guild said. Terming government's decision to lodge an FIR against the Editor-in-Chief of a news website as 'overreaction and an act of intimidation', the Guild said that any such intimidation of the media or blaming the media for mass migration of workers will be counterproductive. The Guild, further said, it believes for sure that the media must be responsible, free and fair. But such interference can only undermine those goals. The Centre stated in its report that it wanted media houses not to publish the news of COVID-19, without asking the Central government authorities, who are assigned to talk to media houses, keeping in view the welfare and benefit of migration labourers and other people due to the pandemic. "We expect the media (print, electronic or social) to maintain a strong sense of social responsibility and ensure that unverified news -capable of causing panic--is not disseminated," the report by Centre stated. The Supreme Court is yet to take a call and pass any order on the status report filed by the Centre. Next hearing in the matter is scheduled to take place on April 7.