Petition in Madras High Court seeks guidelines for aviation related media reporting, ETInfra

Time of India

5 days ago

Advt
Advt
An advocate on Thursday filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking framing and implementation of detailed guidelines for aviation-related media reporting to ensure that no premature statements are made until official investigations are complete.The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocate M Pravin , in the wake of the June 12 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, is likely to come up for hearing early.In his petition, Pravin submitted that it was a well-known fact that after aviation incidents, news media, social media platforms and digital intermediaries frequently publish "unverified content" that prejudges and attributes blame to pilots.This practice not only damages their reputation and career prospects but also affects their personal dignity and mental well-being. One such instance occurred following the aviation accident on June 12, 2025 (Ahmedabad incident), which led to wide circulation of speculative media reports attributing fault to the flight crew while the investigation remained pending.He said he submitted a representation, dated July 14, 2025, to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.The representation sought institutional safeguards including the issuance of advisories to media houses, enforcement of confidentiality protocols regarding pilot identities and preliminary investigation findings, and formulation of content moderation guidelines for digital platforms under the IT Rules.Despite the gravity of these concerns and the public interest involved, no effective action has been taken till date by the authorities, he added.He said the "premature blame cast on pilots" in the aftermath of aviation accidents violates the principle of presumption of innocence and the fundamental right to dignity and privacy guaranteed under Article 14, Article 19(a), and Article 21 of the Constitution.The inaction and failure of the authorities to institute effective regulatory safeguards have serious implications not only for aviation safety but also for the sanctity of fair and just media reporting in the digital age.He said such inaction was contrary to the statutory obligations imposed on the authorities under applicable laws such as the Information Technology Act and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules as well as aviation regulations.The publication of unverified, speculative, defamatory, or misleading content related to aviation accidents severely harms the reputation of the concerned professionals, diminishes public trust and casts an unfair and damaging impression on the aviation system as a whole.Such reporting may also prejudice or interfere with the fairness of ongoing investigations or proceedings.Therefore, the present issue calls for urgent collaboration among the departments and relevant stakeholders to establish mechanisms that promote responsible and ethical digital reporting.