Aiming to make media coverage more sincere and ethical, News Broadcasters Association (NBA), the body representing over a dozen news broadcasters, has issued a new set of telecast norms to be followed during emergency situations like armed conflict, hostage situations, internal disturbance, communal violence and public disorder.

NBA’s new telecast norms prohibit ‘live’ reporting that publicizes any terrorist or militant outfit or glamorizes them in any way whatsoever. The guidelines also articulate that news channels should treat the dead with dignity and their visuals should not be shown.

The guidelines however do not define any penalty or punitive action that NBA will take in case of violation of these norms. In a statement, NBA said, “These are broad guidelines and are not meant to be exhaustive.”

NBA’s Six-point guidelines for the telecast of news have come in the wake of the recent Mumbai carnage, after the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry issued advisories to over 40 news channels, the NBA, and the Indian Broadcasting Foundations in response to the 60-hour live coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks, which was termed “against the interest of the nation’

“Public interest should be at the top of the mind while reporting sensitive matters like hostage crisis or armed conflicts in emergency situations or it may harm public harmony,” said Justice (retd) JS Verma, chairman, News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority, the body that NBA has constituted to ensure that self-regulation is practiced by the news channels without any interference from the government.

According to reports, I&B ministry may list out a clear “do’s” and “don’ts” for the news channels along with actions that the ministry may take in case of violations.