3 TV News channels fined, ordered to take down content that spread hate

The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has taken stern action against three prominent television news channels – News18 India, Times Now Navbharat, and Aaj Tak, ordering them to remove videos of several shows aired over the past two years.

The directive comes in response to complaints over the dissemination of content that promotes hatred and communal disharmony, deemed to be in violation of broadcasting standards and ethics guidelines.

Among the channels penalised, News18 India faced a fine and removal order for three specific shows. These shows, two anchored by Aman Chopra and one by Amish Devgan, were found guilty of communalising the Shraddha Walker case, labelling it as “love jihad.” The NBDSA imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on the channel and mandated the removal of the offending videos.

The NBDSA order stated that the “term ‘love jihad’ should not be used loosely and should be used with great introspection in future broadcasts as religious stereotyping can corrode the secular fabric of the country, cause irreparable harm to a community and create religious intolerance or disharmony.”

The regulatory body also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on Times Now Navbharat for its show, hosted by Himanshu Dixit, on “love jihad” which was aired on May 31, 2023.

“It appears that at the very beginning of the broadcast, the anchor has concluded that men from a certain community lured women from another community by hiding their religious identity and then committed violence or murders against such women and every such violence or murder committed on women of a certain community related to love jihad,” it said.

Aaj Tak came under scrutiny for a show hosted by Sudhir Chaudhary. The NBDSA found Chaudhary’s use of terms such as “Tukde Tukde Gang,” “Khalistani in Punjab,” and “Pakistani Supporters” during a discussion on former President Barack Obama’s comments concerning India to be inflammatory and violative of objectivity and neutrality standards. A fine of Rs. 75,000 was levied on Aaj Tak, coupled with an order to either expunge the objectionable remarks from the video or remove it entirely.

In its assessment, the NBDSA noted a clear departure from journalistic principles in the implicated broadcasts. The channels were found to have failed in presenting controversial issues with impartiality, objectivity, and sensitivity, as mandated by broadcasting standards.

A legal representative of the India Today Group, said, “Even though we are disappointed by the order, we respect the decision by the regulatory body and will follow it”, reported The Indian Express