Fake news on virus worries SC

We do not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but direct the media refer to and publish the official version about the developments, says the top court

NEWDELHI: Mediashouldmaintain a strong sense of responsibility, while disseminating news on coronavirus and should ensure that unverified and fake news is not published, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday after the central government drew its attention to the possibility of people panicking due to “fake” and “inaccurate reporting” of news connected with Covid-19.

“We expect the media (print, electronic or social) to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated. We do not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but direct the media refer to and publish the official version about the developments,” its order read.

The court was hearing two petitions, one by advocates Rashmi Bansal and Anuj Gupta and another by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, that brought the issue of plight of migrant labourers to the notice of the court.

The court, on Monday, had asked the centre to submit a status report. The government filed a detailed affidavit on Tuesday.

In it, the centre had also prayed that directions should be issued to the media to not publish anything without first ascertaining the factual position by way of a mechanism provided by it. “Any deliberate or unintended fake or inaccurate reporting either in electronic, print, or social media and particularly web portals has a serious and inevitable potential of causing panic...”, it stated.

The bench of Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde and justice L Nageswara Rao underscored the need to prevent spread of incorrect information. It also noted that the migration of large number of labourers working in the cities was triggered by panic created by fake news that the lockdown would continue for more than three months.

“Such panic driven migration has caused untold suffering to those who believed and acted on such news. It is therefore not possible for us to overlook this menace of fake news...”, it said.

In a bid to combat spread of fake news, the court directed the central government to publish a daily bulletin through all media.

UTTAR PRADESH