PEMRA Directives on Reporting of Unverified/Fake News – Notification

F No. 3(07/2022/OPS-BM/5949                                                             Islamabad, the October 17, 2024

All Satellite TV Channel Licensees

(News and Current Affairs & Regional Language Channels)

Subject:          DIRECTIVES – REPORTING OF UNVERIFIED ANT/ FAKE NEWS

Reference: a letter received from Home Department, Government of the Punjab regarding media propagation of fake news with regards to an incident of alleged “rape”. Moreover, a FIR No. 165/2024 has also been registered by the Government of Punjab at Police Station Defence, Lahore.

2.                        The licensees while airing transmission must be mindful of the fact that no such content is aired which is false, fake, unverified and try to the best of their ability to avoid all forms of rumor, speculation and disinformation which may jeopardize peace, endanger public life and property. In this connection, relevant provisions of PEMRA Laws are reproduced as under:

Provision of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 (Amendment Act 2023):

“20. Terms and conditions of licence:-  _{A [Person] who is issued a licence under this Ordinance shall}

• not air disinformation

Provisions of Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015:

3. Fundamental Principles: -The licensee shall ensure that:-

(1) No content is aired which;

(h) is likely to incite, aid, abet, glamorize or justify, violence, commission of any crime, terror or leads to serious public disorder;

(i) is known to be false; or there exist sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be false beyond a reasonable doubt;

                                (k) amount to intimidation, blackmail or false incrimination of any person;

4. News and current affairs programmes:- The licensee shall ensure that:-

(I) News, current affairs or documentary programmes shall present information in an accurate and fair manner,

(7) in talk shows or other similar programmes, the licensee and its employees shall ensure that:-

a) information being provided is not false, distorted, or misleading and relevant facts are not suppressed for commercial, institutional or other special interests:

(b) the programme conducted in an objective and unbiased manner;

(d) does not intrude into private life, grief or distress of individuals unless such individual is a public figure and such intrusion is justified in the public interest.

10) Editorial Oversight: The licensee shall ensure that its representatives, hosts and producers of the programmes shall discuss and review the contents of the programme prior to programme going on air being recorded, and ensure that its content conform to, in letter and spirit, this Code of Conduct.

22. Airing of any allegations etc:-(1) licensee shall not air any allegation against any person or organization unless the licensee has credible information justifying such allegation and a fair opportunity to defend such allegation has been provided to the person or organization against whom allegation is being leveled;

(2) where a serious allegation has been made by a guest and the accused is not available despite reasonable effort, the licensee shall adhere the principle of innocent unless proven guilty and the channels representatives will, to the best of their ability represent the accused point of view and defense

(3) Licensee shall ensure that reasonable opportunity of defense and reply is provided to any person or organization against any allegation leveled against such person or organization

(4) with regard to serious accusations, the licensee shall not allow any deceptive or misleading mode or manner to portray any material as evidence of wrongdoing or that which is otherwise not evidence at all.

24. Standards of behavior:- (l) This Code presents the standards to be complied with by all the licensee and it shall always be the sole responsibility of the licensee to ensure the content aired by it is in compliance with the Code of Conduct

(2) This Code represents an affirmative declaration of understanding and compliance with basic values and objectives that licensees, including its employees and officials shall adhere to, and these shall be observed in letter and spirit.”

3.                             Foregoing in view, all the satellite TV channel licensees are hereby directed, to strictly comply with the above referred provisions of PEMRA laws and sensitize their Editorial Boards as well as its employees/staff/guests to strictly ensure compliance with PEMRA laws. TV channel licensees are directed to refrain from media propagation of false news with respect to alleged “rape case” which has the potential to incite or abet violence thus leading to public disorder. In view of above, as per letter of the Government of Punjab, there are sufficient evidences that such allegations are false beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, all the Satellite TV licensees are hereby directed to stop propagation of such fake news and resultant protests thereof.

4.                            In case of any violation of Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct-2015. PEMRA Act and Rules and Regulation, strict action against the satellite TV channel licensee shall be initiated.

5.                             This issues with approval of the Chairman, PEMRA.