The Central Media Accreditation Guidelines, 2022

Seema Chishti writes:

The new Central Media Accreditation Guidelines, 2022 released on 7 February signpost an important stage in the relationship that the media in India has with the government. The very process of “accreditation” by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) means the application of a set of criteria by the state to anoint a set of journalists as the ones who will be granted access to government offices and events. Over the years, this has meant a wide range and number of journalists of several hues and shades. But what the latest set of rules does is privilege a committee, staffed by government officials, with the right to take away or suspend accreditation on the grounds that raise serious red flags on what kind of journalists will be allowed to function and provide access to elected officials or top bureaucrats. It creates a barrier, sends a signal to employers, and makes the job of the journalists arduous. The de facto selection process is a signal as to who the government thinks is a journalist; the intent is clear.