Tamil Nadu might soon get an Exclusive media body – The Press Council of Tamil Nadu – as Chief Minister M K Stalin has consented to make appropriate amendments in law to establish it.
The status report filed by the state government before the Madras High Court stated that the process of circulation and approval required from competent authorities for the formation of the Press Council will be completed soon. As per the new status report, the government order concerning the ‘Tamil Nadu State News Representative Media Accreditation Rules, 2021’ will likely be notified after the completion of urban local body polls.
“The process of circulation and approval from the competent authorities for formation of Press Council of Tamil Nadu and issue of government order for the accreditation rules likely to be completed within a short time after the completion of the urban local body election,” stated a report filed by Director of Information and Public Relation, V P Jayaseelan in the high court.
The amended Tamil Nadu State News Media Representative Accreditation Rules, 2021 has been issued as a government order. The decision was made following a Madras High Court order. Earlier, with an aim to identify fake journalists who are involved in illegal acts like extortion and to protect the interests of genuine journalists, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to create a Press Council of Tamil Nadu. The court also directed that the Council should be headed by a retired High Court or Supreme Court judge and should consist of a team of senior and retired journalists and IAS and IPS officers.
During the submission on February 9th, Tamil Nadu advocate-general R Shunmugasundaram stated that only the Central government could constitute a press council and the state government does not have power to constitute the same.
