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PCI asks newspapers to publish foriegn content after due verification
PCI is an autonomous, statutory, quasi-judicial body that was set up in 1966 for the preservation of press freedom, and to establish a code of conduct for newspapers and news agencies and journalists
The Press Council of India (PCI) on Wednesday issued an advisory to media houses to print foreign extracts in Indian newspapers “with due verification”, and that the onus for publishing the content lay with the publication.
PCI is an autonomous, statutory, quasi-judicial body that was set up in 1966 for the preservation of press freedom, and to establish a code of conduct for newspapers and news agencies and journalists.
In the advisory, PCI said: “The Press Council of India has considered references received from various quarters by the government about the responsibility of Indian newspapers in publishing foreign contents. The council is of the view that unregulated circulation of the foreign content is not desirable. Hence, it advises the media to publish foreign extracts in Indian newspapers with due verification as the reporter, publisher and editor of such newspaper shall be responsible for the contents irrespective of the source from which it is received.”
An official aware of the details said that the advisory fixes legal responsibility.
“There were concerns about who will be held responsible in case of content that is published from foreign sources or from foreign authors. The PCI received submissions about this from the readers as well as the government so it was decided that the legal responsibility of what is published will rest with the Indian publication that prints the content,” the person said
