TV news is sufficiently regulated, there is no need for more rules: Centre tells Bombay HC

The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that while it did not justify the media trial in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, it didn’t see a reason to increase the regulation of electronic media, the Indian Express reported.

The government was responding to petitions decrying “irresponsible coverage” by TV news channels and seeking additional guidelines to regulate them.

The court had earlier asked the government why it did not have a statutory mechanism for electronic media similar to the Press Council of India, which regulates the country’s print media, the paper reported.

“We do not seek to justify or support media trial,” the daily quoted additional solicitor general Anil Singh as telling the court . “There is an existing statutory and regulatory framework which covers the electronic media. As per guidelines, there are certain stages where the complaints are considered before coming to the government. There are adequate safeguards and remedies.”

He further argued that the Programme Code under the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act provided for sufficient regulation of the electronic media and an additional mechanism was not required.

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