Journalists’ bodies on Friday condemned the Uttar Pradesh government’s new digital media policy, labeling it “draconian” for granting authorities broad powers to declare any content, including legitimate journalistic work, as “anti-social” or “anti-national”.
In a joint statement, these bodies expressed concern over Section 7(2) of the policy, which allows the Director of Information of the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate legal action against content creators if their work is deemed “anti-national”, “anti-social” or if it “paints the government in a bad light” or is “created with malafide intent”.
The statement criticized the wide and ambiguous scope of this clause, arguing that it could impose a “chilling effect” on the right to freedom of expression. The policy, they said, appears to be designed to reward content creators who promote government initiatives while penalizing legitimate journalism and criticism.
“This clause gives the Uttar Pradesh government sweeping powers to declare any content as anti-social or anti-national, effectively stifling bona fide journalism,” the journalists’ bodies warned. They argued that this infringes on the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a), which includes the practice of journalism, particularly in highlighting government shortcomings in matters of public interest.
The statement, signed by prominent organizations including the Press Club of India, Press Association, Indian Women’s Press Corps, and Digipub News India Foundation, demanded the immediate withdrawal of Section 7(2) from the Digital Media Policy, 2024.
“A free and independent media is essential for educating citizens and holding the government accountable, which is the cornerstone of democracy,” the statement emphasized, urging the government to respect the constitutional space allotted to journalism.
(With inputs from PTI)