Assam govt mulling guidelines to tackle unregulated news portals: Pijush Hazarika

Guwahati, Sept 23: The Assam government is mulling over to introduce official guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of unregulated news, especially through online portals.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, while raising concerns about the growing influence of unregulated news portals that are spreading misinformation, informed about this recently.

"We are definitely trying to bring in some regulations to curb this menace," he said, talking to the press.

Without naming any news portal of TV channel, Hazarika criticised certain digital platforms for undermining journalistic ethics, often operating without adherence to guidelines under the guise of journalism.

He expressed alarm at how many of these portals "fail to maintain responsible journalistic standards", posing risks by disseminating "misleading or seditious content".

"Several portals, in the name of journalism, are broadcasting 'news' without following any guidelines. I appeal to everyone to follow the appropriate standards; otherwise, strict actions will be taken against the violators," Hazarika said.

Recently, the Meghalaya government issued a notification mandating that all individuals and organizations circulating news on social media platforms within the state's jurisdiction must register with the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).

However, this move has faced significant backlash from various groups.