GOVT EATS ITS OWN WORDS
Governments are seldom so responsive: at least, they do not backtrack on their own minister’s order within 12 hours. In a way it was a classic instance of the Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani proposing and the PMO disposing!
Irani had issued an order on Monday night that journalists who “create and publish fake news” will face six months’ suspension for the first violation; one year for the second and will permanently lose government accreditation, if there is a third infringement.
The very next day, after the move was widely attacked as a brazen attempt to curb freedom of the press in an election year, the PM intervened and cancelled the order that seeks to rein in peddlers of fake news. The PM also held that the PIB and NBA are supreme and can address the matter.
Interestingly, Irani had tweeted in the morning that she was open to suggestions on how to modify the order and tackle fake news. But the PM decided that was not enough. Ten minutes later, the Prime Minister's Office said the controversial order had been withdrawn.
The grapevine had it that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself strode into the PMO to spike Irani’s diktat. The question doing the rounds in the national capital was: Did Irani take a unilateral decision? It is pointed out that the Minister, ever since she has moved out of the HRD ministry, is extremely careful that she does not fall out of line.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma begged to differ. He told a Press conference that the media should not be carried away with unsourced information that the PM intervened to make the Minister reverse the "fake news" notification.
"Nothing happens in this Government without the Prime Minister’s wish. There is complete centralization of policymaking. Even Cabinet notes are cleared by the PMO; no ministry acts independently. A minister cannot even appoint his PA. It is unbelievable that the Ministry took this vital decision linked to the Press freedom without consulting the PMO," Sharma contended.
Or, did the PM realise the folly of passing such a diktat in an election year and the danger in alienating the mainstream media? No one understands it better than PM Modi that the media has an important role to play in managing public perceptions; incidentally, the government is not being able to manage headlines with the same consummate ease as had done so in the first two years.
A part of the problem was that the I&B ministry did not define "fake news" but merely said complaints about it in print would be referred for determination to the Press Council of India, with suspected cases on television going to the National Broadcasters Association. Also, the two regulatory bodies would have just 15 days to decide whether the journalist was guilty or not.
Senior editors felt the move was designed to give the government more control over news. They said suspending a journalist's access to government events and news conferences before the inquiry against them was completely unfair. Journalists also questioned the deadline for the inquiry because it was decided without consulting those who regulate print and TV media.
Congress leader Ahmed Patel questioned whether the guidelines were aimed at preventing journalists from reporting news that was critical of the establishment. "What is guarantee that these rules will not be misused to harass honest reporters? Is it not possible that motivated complaints will be filed to suspend accreditation until enquiry is over?" Ahmed Patel tweeted.
Incidentally, in her wisdom, Irani left websites and social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp – out of the ambit of the order. That might be good news for the likes of Cambridge Analytica, pointed out a journalist.