Media twist facts: Katju

Newly-appointed Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju on Monday claimed that the media “often twist facts” and tries to divert the attention of people from real to non issues.

Newly-appointed Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju on Monday claimed that the media “often twist facts” and tries to divert the attention of people from real to non issues.

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In his first interaction with the media after taking over as the PCI head, Justice Katju said the media often portrayed non-issues and the real issues were being sidelined. “The real issues are terrible economic conditions in which 80% of our people are living, poverty, unemployment, lack of housing and medical care etc.”

He also took on the media for jumping into the conclusions within a few hours of bomb blasts merely on the basis of e-mails or messages sent on mobiles. “…the tendency is to brand all Muslims in the country as terrorists and bomb throwers.”

Justice Katju suggested that “defects” in the media could be removed either through the “democratic way by discussions, consultations and persuasion or by using harsh measures by way of imposing heavy fines on defaulters, stopping government advertisements to them and suspending their licences”.