Editors Guild

The Editors Guild of India on Friday welcomed the Bombay High Court verdict striking down as unconstitutional the Information Technology Amendment Rules of 2023 on the formation of fact-check units by the government. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules sought to empower the Central government to form a Fact-Check Unit to identify "fake and misleading" information on social media platforms about its business. The Guild had moved the Bombay High Court in June last year, challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the IT Amendment Rules of 2023. It had raised its concerns in its statement in April last year, stating that amendments to the IT Rules will have deep adverse implications for press freedom in the country. The Bombay High Court, while observing that the amended rules infringed the right to equality and freedom of speech, also said the rules being vague and broad could cause a "chilling effect

Editors Guild of India on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court's order staying the Centre's notification setting up a fact-checking unit under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) to identify fake news about the Central government. The fact check unit was notified on March 20 under Information Technology Rules, 2021, by the Ministry of Electronics and IT, amid concerns voiced by civil society groups and media outlets about the possibility of its misuse for potential censorship. "EGI welcomes the stay on the Fact Checking Unit under the IT Rules 2021, by the Supreme Court of India," the Guild said in a statement here. The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the notification setting up a fact-checking unit under the PIB to identify fake news about the Union government.

Comedian Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, and the Association of Indian Magazines challenged the formation of FCUs to monitor social media content on government

Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) has appealed to everyone not to share newspaper content "illegally" on social media without approval from the authorities concerned. In a statement, it said that sharing e-paper, PDF or photos of newspaper content on social media is illegal and a violation of the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The guild, however, said that links to news stories can be shared. The body said legal action would be taken against those found sharing news content illegally.

Justice Patel ruled in favour of the petitioners, striking down the rule and Justice Gokhale dismissed the petitions, and upheld the rule

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has said the draft Broadcast Services (Regulation) Bill circulated by the government is "vague and excessively intrusive". In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, the Guild said the new bill would prove "adverse to the spirit of freedom of speech and freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution" and lay the ground for the creation of an "overarching censorship framework" through the establishment of a broadcast advisory council. Outlining four major concerns, the Guild said the bill would result in an "overbearing system of self-regulation" mandating the creation of content evaluation committees in a manner that allows the government to have a greater degree of control on those committees. The press body said the bill allows the government to regulate, or even prohibit, the transmission of channels or programmes on vague grounds. "Provisions that allow government excessive delegation of rule-making are also .

The Congress on Sunday strongly deplored the reported arrest of two editors of vernacular newspapers in Manipur and demanded their immediate release, alleging a "double engine assault" by the Modi government and the Manipur dispensation on the state. In a statement, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that in yet another crackdown on press freedom, two editors from two language newspapers have been arrested by the Manipur government. On December 31, 2023, the BJP-controlled police arrested Wangkhemcha Shyamjai, the editor of vernacular daily Kangleipaki Meira, for allegedly publishing "provocative news", Khera said. On January 5, the Manipur Police also arrested Meitei language newspaper Hueiyen Lanpao's editor Dhanabir Maibam for "promoting enmity on the ground of religion and race", the Congress leader said. In a joint statement, the All-Manipur Journalists' Union, of which Shyamjai was a former chief, and the Editors Guild Manipur (EGM) condemned his .

The Supreme Court on Friday extended by two weeks the protection from coercive action it has granted to four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) in connection with two FIRs lodged against them in Manipur for allegedly promoting enmity between different groups. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra sought the response of the complainant, who had lodged the FIRs against the EGI and its four members, asking as to how the offence of promoting enmity between different ethnic groups was made out against them. The Manipur government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said the top court may protect the EGI and the members for some more time and let the plea be transferred to the Delhi High Court if the bench wished so. On September 11, the top court extended till Friday the protection from coercive action to the EGI and its members. It had also sought the view of the Manipur government on whether to transfer their plea for .

The Supreme Court on Monday extended till September 15 its order asking the Manipur Police not to take any coercive steps against four members of the Editors Guild of India (EGI) in connection with two FIRs lodged against them for alleged offences, including promoting enmity between two communities. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it will extend the operation of its order passed on September 6 on the plea of the Editors Guild till Friday when it will hear the case. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said the EGI members may be protected for some more time and the matter be sent to the Manipur High Court as done in other cases. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Shyam Divan, appearing for the EGI, opposed the submission and said the matter be heard in top court as the FIRs have been lodged on the basis of a fact-finding report. We will take it up on Friday, the bench said, adding it will take up the reply of the stat

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear during the day a plea by the Editors Guild of India seeking protection from coercive action in two FIRs lodged in Manipur against some of its members. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. "We will take it up after admission (matters) are over," the CJI told senior advocate Shyam Divan, who mentioned the matter for the Guild. Divan said two FIRs have been lodged against the Guild members in Manipur and they are seeking protection from coercive action in these cases. On September 4, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had said that a police case has been filed on the basis of a complaint against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India and accused them of trying to "provoke clashes" in the state. A second FIR was also registered against the four members of the Guild, with additional charge of defamation. The Guild, in a report published on Satu

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered that no coercive steps be taken against them till September 11, the next date of hearing

Journalist bodies on Monday condemned the registration of an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India after it published a report of its fact-finding committee on the media coverage of the ethnic violence in Manipur. Terming it a case of "shooting the messenger", they said the action against the guild ill behoves the largest democracy in the world and the FIR should be withdrawn immediately. The Manipur Police has filed an FIR against the Editors Guild of India for allegedly promoting enmity between two communities, among other charges, over its report. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the guild's members were "trying to create more clashes in the state of Manipur" and had "come to pour venom". In a statement issued here, the Press Club of India (PCI) demanded the withdrawal of the FIR. "It is a case of shooting the messenger rather than taking measures to restore peace in the state. We demand that the FIR against Editors Guild of India (EGI) ...

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that his government has filed an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India, and accused them of trying to create more clashes in the state which is rocked by ethnic strifes for nearly four months. The Editors Guild recently claimed that the media's reports on the ethnic violence in Manipur were one-sided and accused the state leadership of being partisan. The state government has filed an FIR against the members of the Editors Guild who are trying to create more clashes in the state of Manipur, Singh said. Those booked are the President of the Editors Guild Seema Mustafa, and three members - Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor. Guha, Bhushan and Kapoor visited the state last month to study media reportage of the ethnic violence. The chief minister also said that they should have met the representatives of all communities and not some sections only before coming to a conclusion.

The Editors Guild of India on Sunday voiced concerns over the decision of the Karnataka government to set up a fact-checking unit to monitor "fake news" on social media platforms. The Guild insisted that efforts to check such content have to be by independent bodies that are not under the sole purview of the government lest they become tools to clamp down on voices of dissent. Any such monitoring framework should follow principles of natural justice, including giving prior notice, right to appeal and judicial oversight, the Guild said in a statement here. It said such fact-checking units should also be set up with due consultation and involvement of all stakeholders, including journalists and media bodies, so that press freedom is not tampered with. The Guild has already filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, challenging the amendments to the IT Rules 2023 that allow the setting up of a 'fact-checking unit' under which the executive will have the sole authority to determine wha

The Editors Guild of India and other media bodies on Thursday voiced concern over the blocking of the website and the de-activation of social media accounts of Srinagar-based news website Kashmir Walla. The Guild is disturbed by the censorship measures undertaken by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology without following due processes and against the principles of natural justice, the Editors Guild of India said in a statement here. A joint statement issued by the Press Club of India, Press Association, Indian Women Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists and the Working News Cameraman Association demanded immediate restoration of the Kashmir Walla and Gaon Savera websites. According to the joint statement, "Apparently, no reason was given for taking such drastic action either to the owners of the websites or the public. The case seems to have not been referred to any Court either. This move raises serious questions about the state of press freedom and freedom

The Editors Guild of India on Sunday expressed concerns over certain provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, saying they can have an adverse impact on press freedom. In a statement here, the Guild said the DPDP Bill creates an enabling framework for surveillance of citizens, including journalists and their sources. The Guild has asked Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the Bill to a parliamentary standing committee. It has also written about its concerns on the Bill to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and leaders of political parties in Parliament. The government tabled the DPDP Bill in Lok Sabha on August 3 with an aim to protect the privacy of Indian citizens while proposing a penalty of up to Rs 250 crore on entities for misusing or failing to protect digital data of individuals. The Bill comes six years after the Supreme Court held that right to privacy is a fundamental right. Under Secti

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday voiced concern over alleged intimidation and harassment of journalists by Union minister Smriti Irani and the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala. In a statement here, the Guild claimed that Irani intimidated a journalist during her visit to her Lok Sabha constituency Amethi on June 9 and threatened to call the owners of the Hindi daily he worked for. In a separate incident, on June 10, a senior woman journalist in Kerala was named as an accused in a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the state police in response to a complaint filed by the Student Federation of India (SFI), the student arm of the ruling CPI(M) party. "This trigger happy approach to browbeat and harass reporters and news camera persons undermine the freedom of the press," the Guild said in a statement. "The minister's threat to call newspaper owners and couch journalistic questioning as an affront to the people, was a clear intimidatory tactic," the Guild said. It also urged

The petition claims that the new Rules under the Information Technology Act are arbitrary and unconstitutional. The HC will hear petitions from July 6 onwards

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas, including one filed by the Editors Guild, challenging the validity of the colonial era sedition law. The Centre is expected to apprise the court of the steps taken so far with regard to reviewing the contentious penal provision. On October 31 last year, the top court had extended its May 11 direction putting on hold the sedition law and the consequential registration of FIRs while granting additional time to the government to take "appropriate steps" for reviewing of the provision. According to the apex court's website, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala has listed as many as 16 petitions challenging the validity of the law for hearing. The central government, which has to review the provision, on October 31 last year, had told the bench that it be granted some more time as "something may happen in the winter session of Parliament". Attorney General R Venkataramani had said t

Guild urged the govt to withdraw the IT Amendment Rules and hold consultations with media organisations and press bodies, as it had promised earlier