SAFMA sets up Press Commission for India

New Delhi, Jan 11 (UNI) The South Asia Free Media Association(SAFMA), the SAARC-recognised body of journalsits, today announced formation of a Press Commission for India charged with the task of ensuring free flow of information and promoting cooperation in the region.

The Commission will identify laws and regulations in different countries that circumvent the right to freedom of opinion, and also identify violation of professional code of ethics in reporting and comment.

It will also keep a watch on measures by the state and other players to punish media economically or in other ways, and look into the performance and role of both state and private media.

Headed by Editor-in Chief of Hindu N Ram, the Commission will be a part of the apex organisation comprising media representatives in the South Asia region. It has 25 other eminent media personalities as its members.

SAFMA General Secretary Vinod Sharma said the new commission will function independently, without being influenced by the apex organisation.

Explaining the rationale of the decision to set up the commission, SAFMA president K K Katyal said the idea was mooted during the King-imposed emergency in Nepal during which SAFMA had expressed solidarity with the hapless journalists and extended all possible help.

The King's representative at the Dhaka meeting last year sought derecognition of SAFMA because of its ''interference'' in the internal affairs of a member country, so it was then decided to entrust the job of monitoring media trends to a separate body, he said.

The announcement about creation of the commission was announced a meeting of the India Chapter of SAFMA. The report of the Media Monitor, detailing cases of atrocities on journalist was also released at the meeting.

The report contains information culled out from newspapers reports which had not been contradicted, and rather confirmed in may cases.

UNI