The Press Council of India (PCI) says that “electronic media, TV news channels, social media i.e. Whatsapp/ twitter/Facebook do not come under the jurisdiction of the Press Council of India.”
Referring to the Press Council Act, 1978, it says that section 14 of the Act, “empowers the Council to warn, admonish or censure the newspaper, the news agency, the editor or the journalist concerned or disapprove the conduct of the editor or the journalist if it finds that a newspaper or a news agency has offended against the standards of journalistic ethics or public taste or that an editor or a working journalist has committed any professional misconduct, on the receipt of complaint or otherwise.”
“Complaints against and by the print media are adjudicated by the Council by adhering to the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979,” the release further adds.
The Press Council of India is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority set-up by an Act of the Parliament. It functions under the Press Council Act, 1978. Section 14 of the Press Council Act,1978.
Due to the ongoing pandemic COVID-19, the media industry is facing a huge turmoil, leaving many news organisations asking its employees to resign, take salary-cut or go on indefinite leave without pay. This is despite the government asking the employers not to cut salary during the lockdown, not to lay-off and allow employees to work from home.
Following news of layoffs in famous media houses, many journalists on social media have asked PCI to look into the matter and ensure that no one lose their job due to lockdown.