NEW DELHI: Taking strong note of the coverage of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case by some media outlets, the Press Council of India (PCI) on Friday said the media should adhere to the norms of journalistic conduct in covering cases under investigation and is advised not to carry out its own “parallel trial”.
“The media should not narrate the story in a manner so as to induce the general public to believe in the complicity of the person indicted. Publishing information based on gossip about the line of investigation by the official agencies on 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 ascertaining the factual matrix. Such reporting brings undue pressure in the course of fair investigation and trial,” the PCI said in a statement.
It also advised the media to refrain from giving “excessive publicity” to the “victim, witnesses, suspects and accused”. The norm prohibits publishing stories about suicide prominently and advises the media not to unduly repeat such stories, it added.