Editors Guild slams PCI

New Delhi: The Editors Guild on Tuesday hit out at the Press Council of India’s move to intervene in a case in the Supreme Court over the curbs on communication in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it is “gravely concerned” that the media watchdog is not only failing to speak up for press freedom but is perversely arguing in favour of a media clampdown.
The Guild, in a statement, said it expects the Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman CK Prasad to rescind his “unilateral decision”, apparently taken without consulting Council members, to intercede in the case in the Supreme Court concerning extreme and unrelenting restrictions placed on the media in Kashmir.
The Guild said it believes that it is a free media that offers a reliable feedback loop to those in charge of governance, that keeps the citizenry well informed so as to ensure responsive governments, and which acts as a safety valve for the expression of frustrations or criticism that can grow if attempts are made to suppress them. A free media is, therefore, very much in the national interest.
The Guild urged the Press Council to objectively ascertain the trying circumstances in which the press is working in Jammu and Kashmir and lend its moral and institutional weight to help ease the restrictions for reporting. (PTI)