NDTV India

Pathankot terrorist attack coverage

In January 2016, the channel received notice from the Information and Broadcasting ministry over its coverage of the Pathankot terrorist attack for allegedly violating norms.^[4] On 4 January 2016, while Indian security forces were still under the counter operations against the terrorist attack committed on 2 January 2016 at the Pathankot Air Force Station, NDTV India's telecast between 1225 and 1231 hours (IST) had allegedly revealed "strategically-sensitive information".^[5] On 2 November 2016, the committee set up by ministry ordered blackout of the channel on 9 November 2016 prohibiting "transmission or re-transmission for one day on any platform throughout India".^[5] The order also stated that NDTV had revealed strategically-sensitive information related to the positions of ammunitions and armaments at the airbase along with locations of schools and residential areas in the vicinity thus endangering civilian lives. The coverage was deemed in violation to the Cable TV Network Rules, 1994 that prevent live coverage of anti-terrorist operations.^[5][6][7] Later editors guild and other organisations together with prominent journalists came up against the order and claimed it to be an attack on freedom of press by the government. It was said that the government targeted NDTV India for criticising the government and asking questions questions of public intrest specially through its show Primetime hosted by Ravish Kumar, in the time when other news channels worked under governments indirect control and ran propaganda set by the government itself.

After the channel decided to move to the Supreme Court of India against the order and got a date of hearing on November 5 of 2016 and also seemed to recive support from public over social media and through protests, the government surprisingly put its orders regarding blackout on hold just before the hearing.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/one-day-ban-on-ndtv-india-by-government-reportedly-put-on-hold-1622438