NEW DELHI: The Indian Women’s Press Corps and the Press Association expressed concern over public broadcaster Prasar Bharati’s “threat” to Press Trust of India over its “anti-national” reportage.
Prasar Bharati had written to PTI that its coverage was ‘anti-national’ after the news agency released interviews of the Indian Ambassador to China and the Chinese Ambassador to India.
By describing PTI’s ‘recent news coverage’ as being detrimental to ‘national interest’, the press bodies said, authorities have failed to appreciate the meaning of a free, objective and unbiased media which is essential to democracy.
“The fact is PTI was only doing its professional duty. At a time when the Chinese have intruded into Indian territory, it is the job of the journalist to ask the ‘other side,’ in this case a representative of the Chinese government, why this is happening.
The interview made all the news — in fact, the Chinese ambassador even conceded, for the first time, that there had been some casualties on the LAC,” the press bodies said.
“By describing PTI’s ‘recent news coverage’ as being detrimental to ‘national interest and undermining India’s territorial integrity’, it seems authorities have failed to appreciate the meaning of a free, objective, unbiased media which is the touchstone of democracy.”
The IWPC and the Press Association stand with PTI.