Kerala High Court Cautions Media Houses Against Publishing Unverified, One-Sided Stories To Boost TRP

The Kerala High Court has flagged the rising trend among media houses publishing 'mere allegations' leveled by a party against the other, without proper verification, only to increase their TRP (Television Rating Point).

Stating that it is both their journalistic and moral responsibility to not publish one-sided story and to verify the news before telecast, Justice A. Badharudeen urged,

"it is high time for the channels and medias to be more vigilant while giving news items in channels and medias in any form to have an enquiry with regard to the truth of the matter or to include the version of the other side (the person against whom the allegations are levelled) after hearing him, or somebody on his behalf capable of explaining the stand of the other side, then, the medias may report both versions to the viewers and readers to decide what actually is the truth behind the news."

The observation was made while quashing a PoCSO case filed against the employees of Asianet news channel. The channel's Executive Editor Sindhu S and five other were booked for allegedly conspiring and disclosing the identity of a rape survivor in a telecast programme, for high TRP.

Though the Court found that the intention of the channel was not to cause any injury to any public or to the survivor, it proceeded to notice the general "survival strategy" of some media houses, reporting "any news" which would give them a mileage.

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