The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has pulled up Hindi television news channel Zee News and English news channel Times Now for violating the code of ethics during its programmes. While Zee News was found violating the code of ethics during its coverage of the farmers’ protest on Republic Day 2021 by linking it to ‘Khalistanis,’ two programmes by Times Now on the 2020 Delhi riots case were found to violate the ethics code laid down in India. NBDSA is a private and voluntary association of news television broadcasters in India.
The violation by Zee News was reported in two programmes related to the farmer’s protest titled “Taal Thok Ke: Khalistan Se Kab Saavdhan Hoga Kisaan?” (When will farmers be wary of Khalistan) and “Taal Thok Ke: Nahi Maane Kisaan Toh Kya Republic Day Par Hoga 'Gruha Yudh'?" (If farmers don’t relent, will there be a ‘civil war’ on Republic Day?), which were aired on Zee News on January 19 and January 20, 2021. The complaint to NDBSA stated that the programmes were "designed to create undue fear and distress amongst the viewers and erode public confidence in the capacity of national institutions meant to protect them."
The NBDSA has held that the "Headlines/Taglines used which were in clear violation of the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Specific Guideline Covering Reportage, Fundamental Standards and Guidelines 1 and 2,” the association has held.
The NBSDA has ‘expressed its disapproval to the broadcaster,’ and has directed Zee News that the video of the said broadcast, if still available on the channel’s website, YouTube channel, or any other links, should be removed immediately, and the same should be confirmed to NBDSA in writing within seven days.
As for Times Now, a complaint was filed against the Editor-in-Chief Rahul Shivshankar, who hosted the show ‘India Upfront,’ for his September 14 programme titled "Shocking Secret admission out in Umar’s arrest, Does left lobby know the truth Delhi riots key witness intimidated threat linked to kingpin?. The complainant, Utkarsh Mishra, wrote to NBDSA saying that Rahul Shivshankar spoke about a "secret meeting of Leftists," when the meeting was actually a webinar on a Zoom call that was uploaded as a Facebook Live video. "The broadcaster expressly attempted to mislead the viewers and develop hostility between communities, regarding the nature and object of the discussion taking place," the complaint said.
Another complaint was filed against anchor Padmaja Joshi, for violating multiple guidelines of the Code of Ethics, Specific Guidelines for Reporting Court Proceedings and Guidelines to prevent communal colour in reporting crimes, riots, rumours and a such related incident — during a Newshour episode titled, “Delhi Riots: Plot To Kill Cops & Kaafirs Exposed; Peaceful Protest A Facade?” The complainant alleged that the broadcaster had not been covering the Delhi riots investigation, in a fact-based manner.
NBDSA has found that “the anchors of the impugned programmes did not conduct the debates in an impartial and objective manner and had therefore violated the Fundamental Principles as enumerated in the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and various Guidelines issued by NBDSA.”
The NBDSA has directed that the video of the said broadcast, if still available on the website of the channel, or YouTube, or any other links, should be removed immediately, and the same should be confirmed to NBDSA in writing within 7 days.