Editors Guild Demands Press Council Reconstitution
Guild says vacant journalist seats have left the statutory press body without adequate professional representation
- Editors Guild demands immediate Press Council reconstitution.
- 13 journalist seats remain vacant, Guild says.
- Body calls for independence from executive interference.
- Guild raises wider concerns over press freedom.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8th Oct: The Editors Guild of India has demanded the immediate reconstitution of the Press Council of India, arguing that the statutory body tasked with safeguarding press freedom is functioning without representation from working journalists.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Guild expressed concern over what it described as the “progressive diminution and devaluation” of statutory institutions that serve as safeguards for press freedom.
The Guild pointed to the Press Council Act, 1978, under which the Press Council of India is mandated to preserve the freedom of the press and maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies.
According to the Guild, the term of the 14th Press Council expired on October 5, 2024, while the 15th Council is currently functioning at half strength. It said none of the seats reserved for working journalists are presently occupied.
The Guild said the Act reserves 13 seats for the press, including six for editors and seven for working journalists. It demanded that these vacancies be filled without further delay through recognised associations of editors, journalists and other professional bodies.
The organisation also said that, according to media reports, the Press Council has repeatedly written to the government seeking notification of nominations for the vacant positions.
The Guild’s first demand is the immediate reconstitution of the 15th Press Council in accordance with the Press Council Act, 1978, including the filling of all 13 seats reserved for professional journalists.
It also called for the professional character and independence of the Press Council to be protected, with appointments made through the consultative and collegiate process provided under Section 5 of the Act.
The Guild further urged that the Council’s adjudicatory and advisory functions remain free from executive interference.
“A Press Council without the press is a contradiction in terms,” the Guild said, arguing that the current situation runs contrary to the intent of Parliament in creating the statutory institution.
The organisation also linked the issue to broader concerns over the media environment in India, stating that the country had fallen to 157th position in the global press freedom index.
The statement was signed by Sanjay Kapoor, President, and Raghavan Srinivasan, General Secretary, of the Editors Guild of India.
The Guild called upon the Government of India to rebuild the Press Council and restore the professional representation of journalists in the institution established to protect press freedom.
