New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has officially recognised the News Broadcasters Federation's (NBF) self-regulatory body.
In a press release, the NBF said that the granting of official status by the MIB to the NBF makes the body the only institution of its kind in the entire country to get the accreditation from the government of India.
"The NBF's self-regulatory body's emergence as the sole body to meet all criteria to be granted validation by the Union of India and be the only recognised body regulating the news media sector as on-date once again reiterates the commitment of the largest news broadcasters body to the fundamentals of transparency, accountability and strong self-regulation," it said.
With the NBF's Professional News Broadcasters Standards Authority ('PNBSA') being recognised by the government of India, the body is set to build a robust system with the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and one that has set an unmatched precedent in the domain of news media vis-a-vis self-regulation, the NBF said.
Presently, the PNBSA is the only body in the country that has successfully demonstrated compliance with national standards in the domain of news media. As the only accredited self-regulatory body for news media, the PNBSA has undergone rigorous scrutiny, it said.
"The NBF has already established itself as a pillar for news media organisations who have chosen to be members of the body and made it the largest-ever group of news broadcasters in India," it said.
On receiving the accreditation, NBF president Arnab Goswami said, "I want to thank all the members of the governing body of the NBF who have worked with me towards making this happen. The media has a pivotal role in strengthening our democracy and taking it to even greater heights. Strengthening the framework of the self-regulation of the media is a big step in that direction. And that's exactly what the NBF has been working round-the-clock towards."