CONTENTS
- Press Council of India
Press Council of India
Focus: GS II- Polity and Governance
Why in News?
The Government of India has nominated Smt. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai as Chairperson of Press Council of India.
- Smt Justice Desai is a retired Judge of Supreme Court of India.
About Press Council of India:
- The PCI was formed in 1978 under the PCI Act.
- Its goal is to protect press freedom while also maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news organisations in India.
- A chairman and 28 additional members make up the PCI.
- The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and a member elected by the PCI choose the Chairman.
Functions:
- Helping newspapers maintain their independence.
- Build a code of conduct for journalists and news agencies.
- Help maintain “high standards of public taste” and foster responsibility among citizens.
- Review developments likely to restrict flow of news.
Powers:
- The PCI has the power to receive complaints of violation of the journalistic ethics, or professional misconduct by an editor or journalist.
- The PCI is responsible for enquiring into complaints received.
- It may summon witnesses and take evidence under oath, demand copies of public records to be submitted, even issue warnings and admonish the newspaper, news agency, editor or journalist.
- Decisions of the PCI are final and cannot be appealed before a court of law.
Limitations on the powers of the PCI:
- The PCI has limited powers of enforcing the guidelines issued. It cannot penalize newspapers, news agencies, editors and journalists for violation of the guidelines.
- The PCI only overviews the functioning of print media. That is, it can enforce standards upon newspapers, journals, magazines and other forms of print media.
- It does not have the power to review the functioning of the electronic media like radio, television and internet media.
