Media should exercise restraint in reporting incidents of communal tension: Editors Guild

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Tuesday appealed to the media houses to exercise utmost restraint while reporting incidents of communal unrest in different parts of the country and not to become pawns in the big game of polarisation.
In a statement issued here, the Guild said it was disappointed to note that there was a lack of due diligence in the evaluation and presentation of reports of conflicts between communities. “This is especially clearly visible in electronic, digital and social media,” he said. This statement has come in the backdrop of incidents of communal tension in different parts of the country including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi. The Editors Guild cautioned against jumping to conclusions without fully understanding the facts, context, and blaming one community or the other, as this could have long-term implications.
The Editors Guild of India urges editors and journalists to exercise utmost restraint, and observe the highest professional standards, in reporting communal disturbances that have erupted in various parts of the country. pic.twitter.com/K0ZlhhJO0o
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) April 19, 2022
He said, “There is a lot of documentary detail of the protection of politicians, police, officials and non-state elements. Hence it is important for editors to bring their experience and perspective to the newsroom in this charged environment. “EGI believes that in order to maintain fairness, neutrality and balance, it is necessary for every journalist to make extra efforts and not to allow themselves to be pawns in the larger game of polarization,” the statement said.
Significantly, since April 2, several incidents of communal clashes have been reported during Hindu religious processions including Ram Navami on April 10. Hindu and Muslim organizations have accused each other of inciting violence. On April 10, during the processions taken out by the Hindutva organization on the occasion of Ram Navami, there were reports of communal violence in states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Apart from this, violence erupted in Jahangirpuri area of the capital Delhi during one such procession taken out on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti on 16th April. So far 24 people have been arrested in this regard. In addition, incidents of communal violence were reported from Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand during Hanuman Jayanti processions. Meanwhile, a mob attacked policemen, a hospital and a temple in Hubballi, Karnataka over a social media post.