Bhuvana Marni
Published on: 28 October 2022 at 14:38 IST
News18 was fined Rs 50,000 by the News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) for violating principles of impartiality, neutrality, fairness, and decency while hosting a debate show over the Karnataka Hijab case.
In his decision on Friday, Justice AK Sikri stated that while the broadcaster had the right to conduct a debate on the issue following the Karnataka High Court‘s decision, the issue was with the program’s tilt and narrative.
“NBDSA observed that while having a debate as to whether the wearing of hijab should be allowed in the schools or not, there was no occasion to blow up the debate by making it a communal issue,” the order said.
The order was passed in response to a complaint made by Indrajeet Ghorpade, a Tech Ethics and Safety professional, in response to a News18 programme that aired on April 6 and in which the anchor, Aman Chopra, referred to the Muslim girl students as members of the “Hijabi Gang” and “Hijabwali Gazwa Gang” and insinuated that they had engaged in rioting.
Chopra allegedly stated that Zawahiri, the leader of Al Qaeda, was his face, and the students were his mask.
It was alleged that the broadcaster had violated the specific guidelines for coverage reports, especially the fundamental standards. On the other hand, News18 defended itself, claiming that it had reported facts regarding the Hijab case that were widely known through its debate.
As a responsible channel, it had asked people from all areas of life, including those with political backgrounds, to join in the debate and express their opinions, which showed the programme had been produced with a reflection of balance.
The NBDSA was debating whether or not the Code of Ethics & Broadcasting Standards adhered to. After examining the matter, the NBDSA concluded that there was insufficient justification to turn the debate into a communal issue.
“NBDSA strongly deprecates the tendency of the broadcaster to associate those panellists who were in favour of wearing Hijab by students with Zawahiri and labelling them as ‘Zawahiri gang member’ ‘Zawahiri’s ambassador’ ‘Zawahiri is your God, you are his fan’”.
The Authority further recorded that Chopra had violated the guidelines and ethical standards as well as the ruling of the Bombay High Court in the case of Nilesh Navalakha v. Union of India, which requires an anchor to use their judgement to keep the programme from veering outside of permissible limits.
“However, in the instant case, not only had the anchor failed to stop the other panellists from crossing the boundary but had given a platform to express extreme views which could adversely affect the communal harmony in the country,” said the order.
The repetition of the violations led to the NBDSA’s imposition of the fine and admonition of News18 for holding the debate.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the NBDSA had provided abundant guidance on how such programmes should be operated, and if the violations recur in the future, it may be necessary to order News18 to ensure Chopra’s presence before the Authority.
Further, it was requested that the program’s footage be taken off all platforms within seven days.
