(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of broadcast/telecast of fake news through various media platforms in the country and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
(b) the details of the challenges being faced by the Government in this regard;
(c) whether the Government is taking measures to combat the menace of fake news in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the further action proposed to be taken by the Government to check such news?
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 252 FOR ANSWER ON 12.03.2021
(a) to (d): The Government has statutory and institutionalized mechanisms in place for tackling fake news, including the following:
(i) For Television, the Programme Code framed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 inter alia prohibits telecast of a programme which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths. Appropriate action is taken against TV channels in case violation of the Programme Code by way of issue of warnings or advisories, orders for apology scrolls or taking the channel off air temporarily for varying period.
(ii) For print media, the Press Council of India (PCI) has framed the “Norms of Journalistic Conduct” which inter alia provide norms on Accuracy and Fairness. The PCI has an institutional mechanism for redressing any complaint received by it in accordance with the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979, and enables it to warn, admonish or censure a newspaper, news agency, editor or journalists, etc.
(iii) For news on digital media, the Government has notified Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 on 25th February, 2021 which inter-alia provide for the Code of Ethics to be followed by digital news publishers and taking action for contravention of the Code.
(iv) A Fact Check Unit (FCU) has been setup under Press Information Bureau of this Ministry. This unit takes cognizance of fake news both suo-motu and by way of queries sent by citizens on its portal or through e-mail and WhatsApp. The unit responds to the relevant queries with correct information when the same pertains to Central Government or forwards them to States/UTs in other cases. The Unit also maintains a twitter account @PIBFactcheck and posts cases of fake news, being busted, on the same on regular basis.
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