India’s Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has convened a meeting of State information ministers to work out a formula for self regulation of the media, in Delhi on December 5, the Hindu reported.
Reacting to the recommendation of the Liberhan Commission calling for a regulator body for the media, Ms. Soni said that she favoured self regulation and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too was for a media free from any kind of control as enshrined in the Constitution.
She pointed out that a task force comprising representatives of the Editors Guild of India, broadcasters, and the Secretary and Additional Secretary of her ministry were eliciting opinions of NGOs and civil society to arrive at a decision.
Ms. Soni regretted that the issue of setting up of regulator body has been hanging fire for well over 12 years with two bills falling through due to dissolution of the Lok Sabha, during which period various formations were in power at the Centre.
Sri Lanka is one of the countries where self regulation of the media is practised. The Sri Lanka Press Complains Commission is modelled after the Press Complains Commission in Britain. |
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