Prakash Javadekar meets with Digital News Publishers Association over new IT rules

Union Minister of Information and Brocasting Prakash Javekar on Thursday interacted with representatives of digital news publishers and informed m about responsibilities placed by new rules on digital news publishers. According to statement issued by Ministry, Union Minister during meeting informed that new IT rules placed certain responsibilities on digital news platforms. 

statement issued by Minister re, "se include herence to Code of Ethics such as norms of journalistic conduct framed by Press Council of India (PCI) and Programme Code under Cable Television Network Act (CTNA)."

Prakash Javekar meets major media publishers 

Stating that in order to furr redress grievances of citizens, Javekar in meeting said that rules have provided for a 3-tier grievance redressal mechanism of which 1st and 2nd tier would be of digital news publishers and self-regulatory bodies constructed by m. He furr stated that print media and TV channels have digital versions whose content is almost same as that on tritional platforms. 

Prakash Javekar said that re are contents that appear exclusively on digital platform. Accordingly, rules seek to cover news on digital media so as to bring m at par with tritional media.

Ministry said, " participants while welcoming new rules stated that TV and print news media have been following laid down norms of Cable Television Network Act and Press Council Act for a very long time. Furr for publishing digital versions, publishers do follow existing norms of tritional platforms. y felt that y should be treated differently than those news publishers who are only on digital platform."

Centre's new guidelines for OTT platforms, social media & online news

On February 26, Centre released ' Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021'. Under new rules, government decided to develop a three-tier mechanism for regulation of OTT platforms, social media content and digital news media.

Publishers of news on digital media would be required to observe Norms of Journalistic Conduct of Press Council of India and Programme Code under Cable Television Networks Regulation Act reby providing a level playing field between offline (Print, TV) and digital media.

A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been established under rules with different levels of self-regulation.

• Level-I: Self-regulation by publishers;
• Level-II: Self-regulation by self-regulating bodies of publishers;
• Level-III: Oversight mechanism.

With new rules in place, social media platforms will be required to disclose first originator of a mischievous tweet or message. This could be in relation to sovereignty of India, security of state, relations with foreign states, rape, etc. Moreover, social media platforms and OTT players would be bound to remove any content flagged by authorities within 36 hours and n set up a complaint redressal mechanism with an officer being based in country to dress matter. With this, I&B Ministry was given power to regulate policies related to news, audio, visual contents and films available on online platforms.