Registration directive for social media ‘journalists’ riles TUR

SHILLONG, Sep 17: The Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has issued a notification under the Meghalaya Communications Policy 2024, mandating that all individuals and organisations involved in disseminating news on social media platforms within Meghalaya must register with the department.
The notification is part of a broader effort to ensure that no content shared on social media is against the interests of the state, public order, decency, or morality, DIPR said.
However, the directive has not gone down well with the Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) which has appealed the press fraternity, content creators and citizens to reject the notification.
“Apart from the blatant illegality of this order, because policy is not a notified law but merely a set of guidelines, this order by the Meghalaya government against the Constitutional Guarantees of Freedom of Expression and Press Freedom,” TUR member Angela Rangad said.
She said that by giving government the illegal and wide ranging power to decide what information disseminated is against the interest of the state, public order, decency, morality or involves defamation of any individual or institution or that is likely to incite the commission of any offense, this policy is arbitrary and fringes on press freedom.
Rangad pointed out that this wide ranging power can allow the Meghalaya government to take action against any platform that publishes this appeal because they can interpret this appeal as an incitement of journalists to defy this notification by the government.
She recalled that even the Union government was forced to keep a similar Broadcast Bill in abeyance because it would have had chilling effects on press freedom and freedom of expression.
According to her, it is shocking that the government does not know the difference between law and policy or even that the questions of press comes under the Concurrent List of the Constitution and is what is called an occupied field of legislation.
“Even a common citizen who chooses to criticise the corruption of the government on social media can also be convicted as per this notification,” she said, wondering why the media organisations did not challenge this policy at the stage of its formulation.
“Meghalaya Communication Policy 2024 is not only a danger to Press Freedom and Freedom of Speech but also goes against laws such as the Right to Information Act, 2005. We request the media fraternity and citizens to stand up to this authoritarian notification and policy,” Rangad added.