ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be another movement to curb the media, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has banned TV presenters from giving their "opinions" during talk shows and has limited their role to " moderator".
In a scathing directive issued at a weekly holiday, the electronic media regulator also directed presenters presenting regular programs "so that they would not appear as experts" in talk shows on their own channels or on others. The media has been advised to select the guests in the interview programs with great care and taking into account their knowledge and experience in a particular subject.
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“Participants / guests should be selected with due care and have credibility as fair and impartial analysts with the necessary knowledge / experience on the subject. According to Pemra's code of conduct, the role of the presenters is to moderate the programs in an objective, impartial and impartial manner, excluding themselves from their personal opinions, prejudices and judgments on any subject. Therefore, presenters offering exclusive regular programs should not appear in talk shows, either their own or other channels, as experts in the field, ”said the directive issued to all licensees of satellite television channels.
The monitoring of electronic media limits the role of presenters to the "moderator"
He said that the High Court of Islamabad had in its order dated October 26 in the matter of Shahbaz Sharif versus the state taken into account several speculative television programs for which the presenters, in violation of the code of conduct, attempted to defame the judiciary and its decision with bad fide intension. "The court has sought a report of Pemra's actions on such violations with reprimand," he added.
Pemra said that the IHC had also noticed that some presenters / journalists held speculative discussions on October 25 on some television channels and alleged an alleged agreement regarding the bond granted to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 26.
"It was believed that this was an attempt to tarnish the image and integrity of honorable higher courts and make their judgment controversial," he added.
Pemra said he had been issuing notices [including suspension of services of some TV channels] to the media houses again and again; however the other side [media groups/journalists] He believed that these actions of the regulator were "media restrictions" imposed by the current government.
"Pemra has been issuing repeated directives asking the news channels to refrain from issuing debates, views and analyzes on subjudicial / prosecuted matters and a series of justified cause notices were presented on the channels to carry out such programs to repeal and curse the judiciary and instructions to tarnish the credibility of the regulator before the appeal forums, ”said the order.
“Now, therefore, all news channels are directed from now on; refrain from issuing debates, analysis, speculation, etc., on matters of subjudice. The licensee must not allow his platform to be used by anyone to deceive the public through misinformation / conjecture and speculation, and they [licensee] will be responsible for any partial or unfair analysis or propaganda against the judiciary and state institutions by its employees, "he added.
The electronic media control body also directed the television channels to ensure the deployment of an effective time delay mechanism and to establish an impartial and independent supervisory committee / editorial committee, as stipulated in clause 17 of the Code of Conduct for Electronic Media (Programs and Advertising) 2015.
“Channels without effective delay mechanism to refrain from broadcasting live programs. The composition of the editorial committee / board must be in line with the directives of the Supreme Court according to the judgment of the suo motu case, which is reproduced as in. Regarding the monitoring committee, we order that licensees include [for each of its meetings] at least one practicing lawyer of at least five years or more of practice, with adequate knowledge of the law to advise the licensee regarding any possible violation of the code of conduct by the programs that will be issued in the future ”, The board said.
Pemra warned the media that failure to comply with its directives / guidelines and orders of the Superior Court will force the authority to initiate legal actions under sections 27, 29, 30 and 33 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 amended by Pemra (amendment) Law of 2007.
Published on Dawn, October 28, 2019
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1513365/pemra-bars-anchors-from-offering-opinions-in-talk-shows