The Editors Guild of India(EGI) has called on all the journalists and media houses of the State and Country to exercise all professional standards of journalism in the coverage of the conflict tearing apart the Manipur state.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the EGI stated that it has been watching and reading with great concern the coverage of the Manipur violence by sections of the media, including local, regional, and national.
“It is a matter of regret that instead of objective and fact based reporting, there is a noticeable bias in the coverage that is contributing to divisiveness and violence,” EGI said.
The Editors Guild of India stated that it expects all editors and news rooms, as well as reporters to adhere to the accepted norms of journalism in such difficult times.
EGI request media houses to report facts, not rumours; to check and cross check, not to become part of information wars; not to take take sides, report factually; to not contribute to proliferation or escalation of the conflict; to not call for violence, avoiding victimizing language such as ‘devastated, defenseless’ or demonizing adjectives such as brutal, vicious, barbaric and to avoid using stereotypes and not to build images of the enemy.
EGI stated that the coverage should avoid inciting conflict, hatred or enmity while bringing out all details of the violence and the situation on the ground. Provocative language has to be shunned and peace efforts supported, it added.
The basic tenets of good journalism have to be followed as it is imperative for the fourth pillar of democracy to end the violence and usher in peace through honest, restrained, ethical coverage, EGI added
