Katju effect: Editors body issues advisory on covering Aishwarya's delivery

Following belittling comments from chairman of the Press Council of India, Retd Justice  Markandey Katju, on irresponsible media ethics and journalistic practices, the Broadcast Editors Association ,  a body of editors of over a dozen TV news channels, has issued a 10-point advisory to its members on covering the  expected birth of superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s grandchild/grandchildren. The advisory was prepared on Friday, November 4, 2011, and issued to member editors the next day.   The Indian Express quotes, N K Singh, editor-in-chief of Sadhna News and BEA’s general secretary: “No pre-coverage of the event; story of birth of baby to run only after, and on basis of, official announcement; story not to run on breaking news band; no camera or OB vans at hospital or any other location related to the story; go for photo-op or press conference if invited; not carry any MMS or photo of the child; no astrology show to be done on this issue; no 11.11.11 astro show to be done; duration of story to be around a minute/90 seconds; unauthorised entry into hospital not permitted.” [caption id=“attachment_126099” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Justice Katju had called Indian media anti-people in an interview with Karan Thapar”] [/caption] Justice Katju had accused the media of being irresponsible in its coverage of news, and had said that media in India often works against the people. “Indian media is, very often, playing an anti-people role. Let me give you that in three respects. Number one, it often diverts the attention of the people from the real problems, which are basically economic. Eighty percent of the people are living in horrible poverty, unemployment, facing price rise, healthcare etc. You divert attention from those problems and instead you project filmstars and fashion parades and cricket as if they are the problems of the people,” he had said. Media  has been eagerly awaiting the birth of Amitabh Bachchan’s grandchild. Enough and more coverage has been already given to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s bump and baby showers. In an interaction with editors in Delhi on 10 October , Justice Katju had said: “…The media often tries to divert… attention to non-issues, such as that the wife of an actor has become pregnant, whether that lady will give birth to a single child or twins… Are these the real issues facing the nation?”