HC- Need for statutory forum for Electronic Media

In an important order, the Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench has said that the Union of India requires to provide statutory forum for Electronic-media where the people may approach and ventilate their grievance. In the petition filed by social activist Dr Nutan Thakur, the Bench of Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh said that for any misconduct committed by the Printing-media statutory forum is available in the form of Press Council of India but with regard to the Electronic-media no such statutory forum is available which seems to be not proper in a country which is run by Rule of Law and governed by the democratic polity and hence the Union needs to provide statutory forum for Electronic-media. The order said that an Electronic media immediately effects the peoples’ mind and now it is well established that some time paid news items are published by the media which is an instance of abuse of power. Hence, prima facie electronic media should also be regulated and supervised by statutory autonomous forum like Press Council and the Union of India should have provided some statutory forum to redress the grievance of the news items or other items of the Electronic-media. Thus the Court directed the Union of India to file an affidavit bringing on record its’ stand to provide some statutory forum like Press Council of India for Electronic-media.