Govt to news channels: ‘Display date and time on footage of disasters, natural calamity, accidents’

The government has asked private news channels to display the date and time on visuals of disasters and natural calamities prominently. It objected to the news channels using the same visuals from the day of the incident continuously throughout their coverage over the next few days. 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the footage shown by television channels several days after the accident or disaster does not necessarily reflect the real-time ground situation which leads to “unnecessary confusion and potential panic among viewers”. 

"Therefore, to avoid any misunderstanding among viewers, all private satellite TV channels are hereby advised to ensure that visuals of disasters, natural calamity or major accidents should prominently display a 'DATE AND TIME' stamp on the top of the footage," the I&B ministry advisory read.

The ministry argued that the correct date and time stamp will ensure that the viewers are suitably informed about the exact date of the footage that’s being telecast. It will also reveal the fact that it does not necessarily reflect the real-time position at the location of the incident. 

The I&B Ministry advisory also "strongly advised" private news channels to ensure adherence to the Programme Code while telecasting such incidents.

The advisory comes in the wake of extensive coverage of the landslides in Wayanad and Himachal Pradesh that claimed several lives recently.