Allegation Of Communalising Corona By Print And Visual Media:Madras HC Dismisses Plea For Framing Guidelines [Read Order]

Through a recent order, the Madras High Court refused to pass guidelines for regulation of the media amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while reiterating that it is for the Government of India to look into this aspect. "This Court also takes judicial notice to the fact that though all the entities are covered under the relevant Statutes, visual media is not coming under the ambit of the Statute and it is for the Government of India to look into the said aspect and this Court is not going to the same," the court said. A division bench of Justice M. Sathyanarayanan and Justice M. Nirmal Kumar dismissed a petition filed by Advocate M. Zainul Abideen seeking for a direction to the Government to issue guidelines to Print Media and Visual Media with regard to the cautious presentation of the news items when it involves any news, update or information about Covid-19 Pandemic and further maintain confidentiality about the infected persons. According to the petitioner, there are repeated news items in print as well as visual media stating among other things that certain persons who belong to a particular religion and who attended the conference at Delhi found to be affected by Covid-19, Pandemic and the names of the persons were published without their consent and without any authority and on account of the said fact they have faced social stigma. If the petitioner is so aggrieved it is open to the petitioner to approach the Press council of India and News Broad Casting Standards Authority and this Court also takes judicial notice to the fact that though all the entities are covered under the relevant Statutes, visual media is not coming under the ambit of the Statute and it is for the Government of India to look into the said aspect and this Court is not going to the same."