Zee News summoned as NBSA finds channel "was targeting a particular community"

New Delhi: Observing that the channel has "violated the fundamental principles of Code of Ethics", the News Broadcasting Standard Authority (NBSA) , has issued summons to Zee News with connection to a special report on different types of "Jihad" (holy war) practised in India.

The summons was issued upon the complaint filed before the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting by activist Saket Gokhale who alleged that the channel "blatantly violated" the advisory issued by the ministry. The complaint filed on March 12 was forwarded by the ministry to NBSA on June 25.

Update:

I'd filed a complaint with @MIB_India against Zee & Sudhir Choudhary for a program where he described "different kinds of jihad".

A complaint to NBSA was also filed by @cjpindia.

NBSA has said that prima facie the program was communal & targeting Muslims specifically. pic.twitter.com/x8x537G2U7

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) October 29, 2020

NBSA, the independent body under the News Broadcasters Association which consider and adjudicate upon complaints about broadcasts, held that the tone and tenor of the programme, presented by Sudhir Chaudhary, the editor-in-chief of Zee News, was divisive and the channel was certainly "targeting a particular community".

The body also noted that the programme was not in consonance with the principles of the code of ethics which states that "broadcasters shall ensure a full and fair presentation of news as the same is the fundamental responsibility of each news channel."

The channel authorities are asked to appear for a hearing on November 26 through video conference.