JournalismPakistan.com
December 27, 2018

ISLAMABAD – Electronic media watchdog PEMRA on Thursday advised news and current affairs television channels to avoid airing false news and tickers without any editorial check.

It pointed out that despite broadcasting such news, the channels do not run any clarification or rebuttal even after it comes to their notice the story was fake.

“This trend not only undermines the credibility of media outlets but also puts tremendous pressure on PEMRA being a regulator. At times news channels use social media as a source of unverified news which causes a backlash.”

It reminded the news organizations that such practice violated PEMRA laws as well as journalistic ethics.

The regulator said it had told its licensees to adopt self-regulatory mechanism and put in place active editorial board by sensitizing them about relevant laws and ethics.

It pointed out that the Electronic Media (Programs and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015 prohibits the broadcast of such content that is known to be false, or there exists sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be false beyond a reasonable doubt.

All satellite TV channels are advised to adhere to the code of conduct 2015 in letter and spirit, the regulator said.