Updated: August 29, 2020 10:11:20 am
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence. (Proceedings)
As reporting from some media outlets on the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and related investigations has come under fire, the Press Council of India has said that the media should not conduct its “own parallel trial” and they must respect the privacy of the victim. , witnesses and suspects.
“The media are advised not to conduct their own parallel trial or forecast the decision to avoid pressure during the investigation and trial,” the Press Council said in a notice issued on Friday.
He advised that the media “should not narrate the story in a way that induces the general public to believe in the complicity of the accused” and stated that “publishing information based on gossip about the line of investigation of official bodies in the crime committed is not desirable ”.
“It is not advisable to vigorously report crime-related issues on a day-to-day basis and comment on the evidence without determining the fact matrix. This type of information creates undue pressure in the course of a fair investigation and trial, ”he said.
The media, said the Press Council, “are advised to refrain from giving excessive publicity to the victim, witnesses, suspects and accused, as it will amount to an invasion of their privacy rights”, and that the ” Identification of witnesses by the media should be avoided, since it puts them in danger of being subjected to pressure from the accused or his associates, as well as from the investigating bodies ”.
Regarding the information on the death of Rajput, the Press Council warned the media that “the information about the alleged suicide of the actor by some newspapers also violates the norms formulated by the Council for reporting on suicides.” He hoped that the media “would not use language that sensationalized or normalized suicides or presented them as a constructive solution to problems” and advised him not to “use sensational headlines or use photos, videos or social media links when reporting cases. suicidal”. ”.
The jurisdiction of the Press Council, which is an autonomous body attached to the Union’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is restricted to the print media and news agencies. Television news has an independent self-regulatory mechanism, the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, which has yet to issue notices or statements on the matter.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest news about India, download the Indian Express app.
.
