Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in theapex court on regulating media with a body that handles complaints againstthose spewing communally incendiary news, hate speech and fake information,according to a report published in NDTV. The Supreme Court has issued a noticeto the union government seeking a response on the PIL.
It also sought a platform that would look into the legalframework of media business.
The bench of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, AS Bopannaand V Ramasubramaniam after taking the cognizance of the PIL also soughtresponse from Press Council of India (PCI), National Broadcasters StandardsAuthority (NBSA), New Broadcasters federation (NBF), Press Trust of India (PTI)and News Broadcasters Associations (NBA).
Film maker Nilesh Navlakha and civil engineer NitinMemane filed the PIL stating self-regulation can't solve the present situationin media.
"Unregulated media promotes hate speech and fakenews and violates citizens Right to Fair Information under Article 19...There hasto be a balance between the right to freedom of speech and expression of themedia business and the competing right to information of the citizens," readsthe PIL.
In the PIL, they have also sought to form a committeecomprising of former CJI or the judge of SC to review legal framework andsuggest guidelines for media.
The PIL says the lack of accountability of electronicmedia that has power and impetus to set the country ablaze with their hatefuldiscourse. It has been added in the PIL, "Over the past few years, mediatrials, hate speech, propaganda news, and paid news have become the order ofthe day, thereby, impeding the right to a fair trial of victims and right to fairand proportionate reporting."