I&B Ministry orders panel to regulate digital broadcasting & online news portal

New Delhi: After PMO had to withdraw the new guidelines for countering fake news issued by I&B Ministry, the I&B Ministry has sought a different way to regulate the digital broadcasting and ‘police the media’.

In a twist to take control over online news portals in India, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Wednesday had set up a panel to frame laws to regulate online media and news portals.

This ten-member committee will be headed by the I&B Secretary.

The directives issued from the Ministry said the committee will have to recommend “appropriate policy formulation for online media/ news portals and online content platform including digital broadcasting which encompasses entertainment/ infotainment & news/ media aggregators.”

This panel will “analyze the international scenario” for similar regulations and will also be responsible to define what can be regulated in online news and media sphere.

It order stated that the committee will “delineate the sphere of online information dissemination which needs to be brought under regulation.”

The order said since there are ‘no norms to regulate online media and digital broadcasting’ this committee will be responsible in implementing the guidelines for digital broadcasting, Indian Express reports.

While TV content is regulated by Programme and Advertising Codes of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995, and print media is regulated by the Press Council of India “which has its own norms to regulate”.

The order further added while recommending the regulations and norms for online news portal and digital media, the panel shall also keep in mind the norms by FDI, Cable Television Networks Act, norms circulated by Press Council, code of ethics framed by News Broadcasters Association (NBA), and Indian Broadcasting Foundation’s (IBF).

The panel shall have secretaries from Ministry of Electronics and IT and Home Ministry, and CEO of government’s citizen engagement platform MyGov., along with representatives from Press Council, NBA, IBF and I&B Secretary.