Chhattisgarh’s journalist protection law to cover freelancers, digital scribes

In the final draft, the definition of media persons has been widened to include all forms of news gathering including photos, video, digital graphics and text content provided the journalist seeking protection has at least three published works in three to six months before making the complaint.

Freelancers, bloggers and contributors will also be covered under the proposed Chhattisgarh Protection of Media Persons Act, which also proposes jail term of a year for those found to be harassing journalists, according to a draft of the law submitted to the state government.

Journalists in Chhattisgarh had protested at several places following an assault on a colleague in October. (HT PHOTO)

The draft was submitted to the state government last week and a bill is expected to be tabled in the budget session of the legislative assembly next year.

In the final draft, the definition of media persons has been widened to include all forms of news gathering including photos, video, digital graphics and text content provided the journalist seeking protection has at least three published works in three to six months before making the complaint.

Those who have been paid thrice in the last six months by a media outlet will also be entitled for protection under the new law. “Those writing or working for any digital media would also be covered in addition to newspapers and television news,” said a member of the committee that drafted the proposed law.

The committee member said that the new law proposes the constitution of a media protection unit in every district and at state-level, in which the representatives of the media would be elected by the local journalists.

“Whoever, being a public servant, willfully neglects their duties under this Act or the rules made under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or both. Similarly, whoever, actively prevents, obstructs, or in any way hinders the registration of a person entitled to registration as a media person under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or both,” the final draft stated.

Drafting committee member Ruchir Garg who is also media adviser to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “The draft has been completed and one important thing which has been added to the proposed law is that the journalists who will be member of risk management committee will be elected by the media persons themselves.”

But Kamal Shukla, a local journalist questioned the logic of including the collector and the SP in the risk management committee.

“We want that the collector and superintendent of police (SP) should not be part of risk management committee of the district, How can this Act give justice to the local journalist when the local SP and collector are in the committee?” said Shukla who was assaulted by Congress workers in October following which journalists had staged protests at several places in Chhattisgarh.

Shukla claimed that according to data that he has collected since December 2018 when the Congress came to power in the state, 34 journalists have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. He said that the proposed law is a farce and only journalists who write in support of administration and government would be benefitted.

The BJP also said only pro-government journalists will benefit from the law.

“We all know that in the last two years, there have been attacks on journalists across the state. Recently, a journalist was beaten in a Bastar district. This is a fact that no journalist who will fight for truth will be benefited by the law,” said BJP leader and spokesperson, Gauri Shankar.