In an advisory released on Tuesday, 19 April, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) advised journalists to exercise utmost restraint while reporting on communal disturbances that have erupted across the country.
While the EGI said that it was cognisant of the hazards faced by on-ground reporters in riot-like situations, it added that it was "dismayed to note that due diligence has been wanting in the evaluation and presentation of reports of the clashes between communities," especially in electronic, digital and social media.
This comes after communal clashes were reported in several states on the occasions of Ram Navami on 10 April and Hanuman Jayanti on 16 April.
'Journalists Rushing to Conclusions to Catch Eye of Consumers'
The EGI also said that in a desire to be first with the news, and to catch the eye of news consumers, many editors and reporters appeared to be rushing to conclusions, and assigning responsibility to one or the other community without a full appreciation of the facts and the context.
The guild warned that doing so could have "lasting implications".
"As the long arc of communal violence in the country shows, most incidents are rarely what they seem to be on the surface. The patronage of politicians, police, officials and non-state actors is well documented," the guild said, urging editors to bring their experience and perspective to the newsroom in these surcharged times.
The body also asked journalists to make the extra effort to maintain fairness, neutrality and balance, and to not allow themselves to "become pawns in the larger game of polarisation".
The guild added that journalism had many noble objectives along with professional obligations.
"Helping preserve social peace and communal harmony – by not fuelling rumours; by not being partisan; by not setting citizen against citizen – is one such worthy professional obligation," the advisory concluded by saying.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)