Centre mandates date and timestamp on disasters, accidents footage for TV channels

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday issued an advisory to private news channels, instructing them to include a date and timestamp on visuals of natural disasters and major accidents while reporting on such incidents.

The advisory, released by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted concerns regarding continuous coverage by television channels that often replay footage from the initial day of the incident. The ministry pointed out that footage aired several days after a disaster or accident does not always represent the current situation on the ground, which can lead to “unnecessary confusion and potential panic among viewers.”

To address this issue, the ministry urged private satellite TV channels to prominently display a ‘DATE AND TIME’ stamp on the top of the footage showing disasters, natural calamities, or major accidents. This measure is intended to ensure that viewers are fully aware of the exact date and time of the footage being broadcast and understand that it may not reflect the present conditions at the location of the incident.

In addition, the I&B Ministry “strongly advised” news channels to adhere to the Programme Code while telecasting such events.

The advisory follows extensive media coverage of recent landslides in Wayanad and Himachal Pradesh, which resulted in the loss of several lives.