Kanpur violence: Look at what you have done, says EGI to news channels

Irresponsible conduct of the news channels has made the gap between communities unbridgeable, said Editors' Guild of India

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) asked some news channels to pause and take a critical look at what they have done just to increase viewership and profit during the Kanpur violence.

On June 3, violence had erupted in parts of Kanpur after Friday prayers as members of two communities over attempts to shut shops in protest against remarks made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad during a TV news channel debate.

Noting that the irresponsible conduct of the news channels has made the gap between communities unbridgeable, the guild also called for stricter vigilance by broadcasters and journalist bodies.

According to EGI, the unnecessary embarrassment could have been avoided if the news channels had been mindful of country's constitutional commitment to secularism, as well as journalistic ethics and guidelines.

In a statement, EGI said the body is disturbed by the irresponsible conduct of some national news channels for deliberately creating circumstances that target vulnerable communities by spewing hatred towards them and their beliefs.

"The incident could have been avoided if some of the TV outlets had been mindful of the nation's constitutional commitment to secularism, as well as the journalistic ethics and guidelines that the Press Council of India has issued to handle a volatile communal situation," the EGI said.

The media is in place to strengthen the Constitution and the law, and not break it through sheer irresponsibility and absence of accountability, the EGI added.