The Editors Guild of India made a huge error in the statement released against the Andhra Pradesh government for banning two Telugu news channels. In its statement the Guild wrote, “it is distressed to note that the “unwritten ban” has been imposed by the Telangana government on TV5 and ABN”.
It is important to note that the TV channels have been banned by Jaganmohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh and not by Telangana government which is led by KCR.
Various news portals also carried the same statement without checking the error. The Times of India mentioned the Editors Guild statement which said, “Such restrictions strike at the root of press freedom. The Guild urges the Telangana government to clarify if it indeed has in any way been responsible for the stoppage in telecasting of these two television channels. If so, it should immediately rescind any such order.” In similar fashion, The Outlook also carried the news in similar fashion and did the same mistake.
Pooja Prasanna, south India bureau chief of Republic posted the tweet of The Editors Guild of India and wrote, “Such blatant ignorance and stupidity by the supposed Editors Guild of India. To not have basic knowledge about who is in power in #AndhraPradesh and in #Telangana is unpardonable. Tyranny of distance, much?”
Such blatant ignorance and stupidity by the supposed Editors Guild of India. To not have basic knowledge about who is in power in #AndhraPradesh and in #Telangana is unpardonable. Tyranny of distance, much? pic.twitter.com/q5BkvOFRv5
— Pooja Prasanna (@PoojaPrasanna4) September 25, 2019
While Chitra Subramaniam, senior journalist who exposed Bofors scam tweeted, “Dangerous mix that is – ignorance and stupidity. Not the first time the self-appointed gatekeepers of #Indian media make fools themselves!”
After facing backlash on social media, Editors Guild of India under the leadership of Shekhar Gupta corrected the mistake and again posted a correct version of the statement.
The Editors Guild of India has issued a statement – https://t.co/xrPM0vb2jK pic.twitter.com/zk3OdJDE1k
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) September 25, 2019
According to its website, the Editors Guild was founded in 1978 with the twin objectives of protecting press freedom and for raising the standards of editorial leadership of newspapers and magazines. News portals blindly carrying the story without correcting the simple fact raises various questions.
The Guild is a Delhi establishment obsessed with its own importance. It seems more concerned about patronage and privilege than professionalism and propriety.
