Shekhar Gupta, former editor of Indian Express:
“Make no mistake: this is a breathtaking assault on mainstream media. It is a moment like Rajiv Gandhi’s anti-defamation bill. All media should bury their differences and resist this.”
Suhasini Haidar, diplomatic editor of ‘The Hindu’:
“With its order today, government makes it clear that it only wants to penalise those who are accredited, i.e mainstream media. The I & B Ministry’s fake news threat doesn’t extend to those websites that openly flout journalistic ethics.”
Nidhi Razdan, Executive Editor, NDTV:
“So basically it is a gag order. Because anyone can accuse a journalist of fake news and get their accreditation taken away, without a probe. This is sheer harassment of the press, nothing more. And what about the fake news factories like Postcard News? They aren’t even accredited.”
Barkha Dutt, editor of Mojo digital news platform:
“Fake news is a hugely valid concern and the media should take steps to weed it out but with these guidelines, there is something Trumpian in the air.”
Bhupendra Chaubey, senior news anchor, News 18 channel:
“Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) deserves full credit for listening to concerns of stake holders in journalistic community. FakeNews is a valid problem. Needs to be dealt with. But it needs to be thought through.”
Swati Chaturvedi, senior journalist and columnist, NDTV:
“Dear Prime Minister, your government peddles fake news on an industrial scale. Please stop the madness about this. Please stop anti free press move.”
