I&B Ministry cautions TV channels against broadcasting gory and disturbing footage

The advisory has been issued after several instances of lack of discretion by television channels were noticed by the Ministry

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Monday cautioned the television channels against airing disturbing footage and distressing images, stating that it was a violation of the Programme Code.

The Ministry asked the TV channels not to report incidents of accidents, deaths, and violence, including crimes against women, children and elderly, in manners that grossly compromised on “good taste and decency”.

The advisory has been issued after several instances of lack of discretion by television channels were noticed by the Ministry.

“...Television channels have shown dead bodies of individuals and images/videos of injured persons with blood splattered around, including women, children and elderly being beaten mercilessly in close shots, continuous cries and shrieks of a child being beaten by a teacher shown repeatedly over several minutes,” it said.

The gory visuals were shown in loops “thereby making it even more ghastly, without taking the precaution of blurring the images or showing them from long shots”.

Stating that the manner of reporting such incidents was distasteful and distressing for the audience, the Ministry said those reports could also have an adverse psychological impact on the children.

“There is also a crucial issue of invasion of privacy which could be potentially maligning and defamatory,” it said, adding that in most cases the videos were being taken from social media and broadcast without editorial discretion and modifications to ensure compliance and consistency with the Programme Code.