News Broadcasters Association (NBA)

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) represents the private television news & current affairs broadcasters. It is the collective voice of the news & current affairs broadcasters in India .It is an organization funded entirely by its members. The NBA has presently comprising 47 news and current affairs channels as its members. The NBA presents a unified and credible voice before the Government, on matters that affect the growing industry.

Objectives of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA)

• To promote, aid, help, encourage, develop, protect and secure the interests of the News Broadcasters in the Indian television Industry and other related entities.
• To promote awareness about the latest developments in the television industry relating to News Broadcasting and to disseminate knowledge amongst its members and the general public regarding such developments.
• To provide for the members a place of meeting so as to enable them to work in consensus to achieve common goals for the overall betterment of their industry and to have a common platform/forum at which they may air their grievances and arrive at solutions.
• To promote the growth of friendly relations amongst the members and amongst persons engaged in the production and broadcasting of the television software and especially to encourage co-operation among the members so as to maximize mutual benefits.
• To protect all its members from persons or entities who carry on unfair and/or unethical practices or who discredit the television industry.
• No objects of the Company will be carried out without obtaining prior approval/ NOC from the concerned authority, wherever required.

Fundamental principles

Professional electronic journalists should accept and understand that they operate as trustees of the public and , make it their mission to seek the truth and to report it fairly with integrity and independence. Professional journalists should stand fully accountable for their actions.

The procedures that would help journalists of the electronic media to adhere to the highest possible standards of public service and integrity.

 News channels recognise that they have a special responsibility in the matter of adhering to high standards of journalism since they have the most potent influence on public opinion. 

Broadcasters shall, in particular, ensure that they do not select news for the purpose of either promoting or hindering either side of any controversial public issue. News shall not be selected or designed to promote any particular belief, opinion or desires of any interest group.

The fundamental purpose of dissemination of news in a democracy is to educate and inform people of the happenings in the country.

Broadcasters shall ensure a full and fair presentation of news, as the same is the fundamental responsibility of each news channel.Besides, the selection of items of news shall also be governed by public interest and importance based on the significance of these items of news in a democracy.

Principles of self-regulation

The News Broadcasters Association has established commonly accepted content guidelines as a way of practising self-regulation. The purpose of these principles of self-regulation and compliance with, the basic values and objectives that news channels enshrine.

Impartiality and objectivity in reporting

Accuracy is at the heart of the news television business. despite this, there are errors, channels should be transparent about them. Errors must be corrected promptly and clearly, whether in the use of pictures, a news report, a caption, a graphic or a script. Channels should also strive not to broadcast anything which is obviously defamatory or libellous. 

Ensuring neutrality

TV news channels must provide for neutrality by offering equality for all affected parties, players and actors in any dispute or conflict to present their point of view. Though neutrality does not always come down to giving equal space to all sides (news channels shall strive to give the main viewpoints of the main parties), news channels must strive to ensure that allegations are not portrayed as fact and charges are not conveyed as an act of guilt.

Reporting on crime and safeguards to ensure crime and violence are not glorified

Visuals broadcast do not induce, glorify, incite, or positively depict violence and its perpetrators, regardless of ideology or context. Specific care must be taken not to broadcast visuals that can be prejudicial or inflammatory. This includes taking adequate precaution while showing any visual instance of pain, fear or suffering, and visuals or details of methods of suicide and self-harm of any kind, and will not cross boundaries of good taste and decency.

Depiction of violence or intimidation against women and children

News channels will ensure that no woman or juvenile, who is a victim of sexual violence, aggression, trauma, or has been a witness to the same, is shown on television without due effort taken to conceal the identity.  Similarly, the identity of victims of child abuse and juvenile delinquents will not be revealed, and their pictures will be morphed to conceal their identity.

Sex and nudity 

News channels will ensure that they do not show, without morphing, nudity of the male or female form. Channels will also not show explicit images of sexual activity or sexual perversions or acts of sexual violence like rape or molestation, or show pornography, or the use of sexually suggestive language. 

Privacy

As a rule, channels must not intrude on the private lives or personal affairs of individuals unless there is a clearly established larger and identifiable public interest for such a broadcast. The underlying principle that news channels abide by is that the intrusion of private spaces, records, transcripts, telephone conversations and any other material will not be for salacious interest but only when warranted in the public interest. However, it is also understood that the pursuit of truth and the news is not possible through the predetermined principle of prior permission;

Endangering national security

News channels will also refrain from allowing broadcasts that encourage secessionist groups and interests, or reveal information that endangers lives and national security. 

Refraining from advocating or encouraging superstition and occultism

News channels will not broadcast any material that glorifies superstition and occultism in any manner. In broadcasting any news about such a genre, news channels will also issue public disclaimers to ensure that viewers are not misled into believing or emulating such beliefs and activity. Therefore, news channels will not broadcast "as fact" myths about "supernatural" acts, apparitions and ghosts, personal or social deviations or deviant behaviour, and recreations of the same. Wherever references are made to such cases, news channels will issue air riders/disclaimers/warnings to ensure that such beliefs or events are not passed off "as fact" since they can hurt rational sensibilities.

Sting operations 

News channels will not allow sex and sleaze as a means to carry out sting operations, the use of narcotics and psychotropic substances, or any act of violence, intimidation, or discrimination as a justifiable means in the recording of any sting operation. 

Viewer feedback 

All news channels will,  create provision to receive consumer feedback.In the event any news channel gets a specific complaint, if found to be true it will admit to the same on air and will respond in fullness and fairness to the viewer.