Centre to soon implement law to regulate digital media, confirms I&B Minister Anurag Thakur

Digital media regulation: Union I&B minister Anurag Thakur claimed that while news transmission used to be one-way in the past, it has now evolved to include multiple dimensions owing to the growth of electronic and digital media.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Union Minister Thakur said digital media has revolutionised news transmission
• He said Centre would soon bring a new law to replace the 1867 Press and Registration of Books Act
• The I&B minister also urged media to work ‘responsibly’

Digital media regulation: Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur said that the government is drafting a bill to regulate digital media.

Speaking at an event on Wednesday (November 23), he claimed that while news transmission used to be one-way in the past, it has now evolved to include multiple dimensions owing to the growth of electronic and digital media.

Digital media revolutionised news transmission

Thakur further said that digital media now enables even small news from a village to reach the national platform. According to him, the government has left most of the print, electronic, and digital media to self-regulation.

“Digital media presents opportunities as well as challenges. To have a fine balance, the government will see what can be done about this. I would say that changes have to be brought into law, and we will bring that to make your work simple and easy. We are working to introduce a bill,” Thakur added.

Centre to replace the 1867 Press and Registration of Books Act

The I&B minister also confirmed that the central government would soon introduce a new law to replace the 1867 Press and Registration of Books Act and that the registration process for newspapers would be made simpler.

Under the new law, the registration process, which currently takes around four months, can be finished in a week via online mode, he said.

The I&B minister urges media to work ‘responsibly’

Thakur also said newspapers should bring the “right news” before the general public at the “right time.” He said along with the shortcomings of the government, public welfare schemes and policies of the government should reach to the common people.

He also urged the media to do its work “responsibly” and avoid creating an atmosphere of “fear and confusion.”

Meanwhile, at the event, the minister assured journalists that the Centre takes care of their interests and added that financial assistance was provided to families of the journalists who died of COVID-19.

(With inputs from PTI)

News Sources – India Tv News