A Parliamentary panel has advised the government to ensure strict punishment for publishing or telecasting of ‘fake news’, which includes stripping away the accreditation of the journalist or the creator found guilty of indulging in such an act.
In a report tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, chaired by BJP member Nishikant Dubey, asked the Centre to consider amending the penal provisions for publishing or telecasting fake news, and also define the term better to combat the spread of misinformation.
The report on ‘Review of Mechanism to curb Fake News’ also asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consult all the stakeholders while arriving at the definition of fake news.
“There is also a need to amend the penal provisions for publishing/telecasting fake news in relevant Acts/Rules/Guidelines for each form of media (print, electronic, digital),” the committee said.
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“Needless to say, all these should involve and emerge from a consensus-building exercise among media bodies and the relevant stakeholders,” it added.
According to the report, in the light of the ambiguity related to the term ‘misinformation/fake news’, the committee feels there is a need for defining the term ‘fake news’ per se in a subtle manner.”
It also advised the government to incorporate suitable clauses in the existing regulatory mechanism for print, electronic and digital media while maintaining the delicate balance of combating misinformation and protecting freedom of speech and individual rights as guaranteed under the Constitution.
All the media organisations should have a fact-checking mechanism and internal ombudsman for better self-regulation when it comes to checking the menace of misinformation/fake news, it further said.
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