NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has asked TV channels to air visuals of natural calamities, disasters and major accidents with date and time stamps. The advisory was issued to prevent misunderstanding among viewers.The advisory was issued after it was noticed that during continuous coverage of recent incidents, which goes on over several days, the same footage is repeated or old clips are shown instead of the real-time ground situation, which leads to confusion and potential panic among viewers.“To avoid any misunderstanding among viewers, all private satellite TV channels are hereby advised to ensure that visuals of disasters/ natural calamity/ major accidents should prominently display a ‘DATE AND TIME’ stamp on the top of the footage. This will ensure viewers are suitably informed about the exact date of the footage being telecast and the fact that it does not necessarily reflect the real-time position at the location of the incident,” read the advisory.The channels have also ‘strongly’ been advised to ensure adherence to the Programme Code while telecasting such incidents.“It has been noticed that whenever a disaster, natural calamity, or major accident occurs, TV Channels provide continuous coverage over several days but repeatedly show footage from the day that the incident happened or some previous footage, not necessarily reflecting the real-time ground situation which leads to unnecessary confusion and potential panic among viewers,” the advisory read.Recently a massive landslide hit Wayanad in Kerala, which claimed more than 200 lives. However, reports suggest that the number of deceased could exceed 300. Last month, following the derailment of the Dibrugarh Express, four people died while 31 people were injured near Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. In June, at least nine passengers were killed and 40 others injured when a goods train smashed into the Kanchenjunga Express from the rear near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.
Source link
