Press also guilty?

IN Media Watch Briefs | 20/03/2017

Goa's AICC Secretary Girish Chodankar alleged that Rs 1000 crore changing hands to enable the formation of the BJP government in Goa. BJP President Vinay Tendulkar retaliated by sending him a defamation notice and the police filed an FIR against him. What's interesting is that Tendulkar has also made all the newspapers and TV channels which reported the allegation a party to the complaint by adding another section, 501 of the Indian Penal Code.This section relates to printing defamatory matter, for which the punishment is two years of simple imprisonment. The offence is non-cognisable but the Goa Union of Journalists is not amused. Its President objected and the news spread on social media. CM Manohar Parrikar is reported to have phoned Patil and assured him that the offending section will be removed from the FIR today.

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Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

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