Press Council of India

Press Council of India Latest News

Recently, it was observed that the Press Council of India (PCI), has been operating at half its sanctioned strength for nearly a year now and without a single working journalist or newspaper editor. 

About Press Council of India

• It is a statutory quasi-judicial autonomous authority, re-established in 1979 under the Press Council Act, 1978.
• Objectives
  • Preserving the freedom of the press.
  • Maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.

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Composition of Press Council of India

• Chairman: The Chairman, typically a retired Supreme Court judge, is nominated by a committee that includes the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and an elected representative from the 28 members.
• Other Members: Of the 28 members, 13 represent working journalists, which include six editors and seven other working journalists, other than editors of newspapers.
  • 6 members represent newspaper owners or managers, with two each from large, medium, and small newspapers.
  • One member comes from the news agency sector.
  • In addition, the Press Council of India comprises 5 representatives from Parliament—3 nominated by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and 2 by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
  • 3 members representing education, law, and literature are nominated by the University Grants Commission, Bar Council of India, and Sahitya Akademi.

Powers of Press Council of India

• Helping newspapers to maintain their independence;
• Building up a code of conduct for journalists and newspapers according to high professional standards;
• Reviewing any development which is likely to restrict the supply and dissemination of news of public interest and importance;
• Reviewing such cases where assistance has been received by any newspaper or news agency in India from foreign sources, as referred to it by the Central Government;
• It adjudicates the complaints either against the Press for violation of journalistic ethics or by the Press for interference with its freedom.

Source: IE