Two news channels have been banned in Telangana for making derogatory comments against KCR and his MLAs. It’s nearing three months and the ban hasn’t been lifted as yet.
Ironically, KCR has been maintaining that he or his government had nothing to do with the ban and that it was the decision of Telangana MSOs to ban the channels.
However, it has to be remembered that we have a national body to look into errors committed by media houses. Instead of taking up the issue with them and allowing them to issue appropriate guidelines to the accused media houses, the matter is being tackled at the grass-root level which is not conducive to freedom of press in the country.
Of course, the channels should not have made comments like ‘TRS MLAs are like people who drink stale toddy and that they must fold their laptops and hide them wherever’.
The said channels have also apologized publicly for the comments. Yet, they have been blacked out in Telangana.
Now, if the same trend continues, then a few other channels could be banned in some other states taking this as a precedent.
One can only dread at the mere thought of newspapers, channels and websites being banned by groups behaving arbitrarily. Meanwhile, the media on its accord must behave responsibly and steer clear from making comments that can hurt the sentiments of various sections of people.
While media cannot behave irresponsibly, corrective measures are order of the day. Someone has to take the first step to resolve the issue. But who will take the first step has become the million dollar question.
Isn’t it a rather dark time for media and press freedom?
