Shillong, Oct 5: The Meghalaya Editors’ and Publishers’ Association (MEPA) has expressed solidarity with the various media organisations in India who have decided to write to the Chief Justice of India to draw his attention to the continued attempts to throttle press freedom in the country as happened recently with some journalists in Delhi.
The solidarity statement came in the wake of the arrest of veteran journalist and founder of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha and others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This is not the first time that a journalist has to face the State’s high-handedness. Last year, AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. In 2020, Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested when he was on his way to report the gang rape and death of a Dalit girl.
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In another statement, the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the global media safety and rights body, expressed concern over the recent arrest as well as raids of a media office in New Delhi, asserting that scribes should not be harassed for their duties.
“The police not only raided the office of NewsClick, a 2009-founded news site, but also sealed it later. They also raised the residences of many journalists & writers associated with it. As many as 45 suspects were questioned and a large number of electronic devices from their custodies were also seized by the investigating police personnel,” the statement read.
Concern over YouTubers posing as journalists
MEPA in its statement also raised concerns about some YouTubers posing as journalists and attending official functions.
“MEPA has received complaints from journalists and reporters working in some districts of the state regarding the presence of private YouTubers who performed journalistic duty through news coverage, attending official functions, press conferences and press briefings in the districts. Complaints have also been received that there were private YouTubers who pasted ‘Press’ tags in their vehicles,” the statement read.
MEPA clarified that authorised media houses are those which have registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India (RNI) and empanelled with the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Meghalaya.
Besides, media personnel, reporters, correspondents, freelance journalists have to obtain the identity card issued by their respective media house (newspaper, TV channel, digital channel) Accreditation Card issued by the DIPR.
“Therefore, in order to avoid any confusion and prevent any attempt by certain individuals to take advantage, the MEPA will soon write to the DIPR on this matter for necessary steps to be taken so that the members of the public are not misused or misguided by any individuals posing as journalists or media personnel,” it added.
