Press Council asks media to observe restraint

PCI said many reports on the case violated internationally accepted norms of journalistic conduct vis-a-vis minors and children.

Press Council of India, concerned over the sensationalisation of the MMS case involving a juvenile, on Thursday appealed to the media to observe restraint in identification of the accused and the victims.

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"This case has been sensationalised to a large extent by the eletronic media by repeated telecast of the videoclip and dislosure of certain details of identity of the minor involved including the name of his school," Press Council Chairman Justice Jaichandra Reddy said in a release.

Besides, Justice Reddy said that the print media has followed up on these reports "in violation of internationally accepted norms of journalistic conduct in reporting on minors and children."

Dwelling at length over the norms the media should follow, he said that identification of the accused and the victims in such cases was not only violative of journalistic ethics but also of Section 21 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.