Madras High Court Orders Stalin Govt To Form Press Council of Tamil Nadu

All more, the people can send complaints to the council if they come across fake journalists and the council will conduct an investigation, the court said.

Madras High Court

Chennai: The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to form Press Council of Tamil Nadu (PCTN) to identify genuine journalists and to restrain fake journalists from doing unethical practices including blackmailing government officials and industrials for their benefits.

According to a report in The Hindu, Justices N Kirubakaran and P Velmurugan issued orders to constitute PCTN within three months under the headship of retired judges of either Supreme Court or High Court. The Court also said that experienced and reputed journalists, working and retired civil servants and IPS officers must be part of the council. 

The Court also directed to trust the authority of the council for recognising press clubs and journalists' associations and instructed the council to discontinue the recognition given for the associations if there is a bias on the basis of caste, community or state boundaries. 

All the councils should conduct elections and select the office bearers within a stipulated period of time and the Associations failing to conduct the elections must be brought under the control of the PCTN. The PCTN will also be empowered to decide on the number of journalist associations that each city or town should have. The Court has also said that the Tamil Nadu government should not allot houses or grant free bus passes since the applications of journalists should be sent to the PCTN. 

The Associations should declare the income source and receive the permission of the council for conducting conferences or meetings, the court said. 

All more, the people can send complaints to the council if they come across fake journalists and the council will conduct an investigation, the court said adding, the people affected by fake news or disinformation can also lodge a complaint with PCTN. 

The order was issued while hearing two writ petitions filed by S Sekaran, a journalist.  

Opposition by journalist organisations

Meanwhile, the journalist associations in Tamil Nadu have started to oppose the order. The Centre of Media Persons for Change said, “The Madras HC ruling is against freedom of expression and against the right to start associations. We strongly condemn the ruling. Tamil Nadu government should re-appeal and get a stay on the order.”