The News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) imposed a total fine of ₹2 lakh on Zee News for two separate and false news broadcasts, one about a Muslim man and other related to certain transgender persons.
The NBDSA held that the broadcasts were in violation of broadcasting standards relating to accuracy, verification, and the use of unverified visual material.
In two separate orders passed on February 17, NBDSA Chairperson Justice (Retired) AK Sikri directed Zee News to remove the disputed content and also imposed fine of ₹1 lakh each for the two wrong broadcasts.
The penalties stemmed from two complaints over different broadcasts by channels run by Zee Media Corporation Limited.
One of the broadcasts related to a viral social media video about a traffic jam on a highway in Jammu and Kashmir which was wrongly attributed to a Muslim truck driver though the real reason was landslides and repairs due to that.
The Zee News broadcast incorrectly alleged that the Muslim truck driver offering Namaz was the reason for the traffic jam. During the proceedings, the broadcaster admitted that the video had been taken from social media and aired without verification.
Later fact-checks and official traffic updates showed that the congestion was actually caused by landslides, bad weather, and repair work on the highway, and that the driver was himself stuck in the jam along with other commuters.
NBDSA held that relying on such unverified viral material constituted a serious lapse and a violation of accuracy standards.
However, noting that the broadcaster had subsequently deleted the video, the authority imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh in that case.
In its order, the NBDSA underlined that broadcasting unverified online content amounts to a breach of core journalistic obligations.
It held,
"Using unverified content available on social media is a clear lapse on the part of the broadcaster, which is also serious in nature and is in violation of the principle of Accuracy enshrined under the Code of Conduct, which Members are expected to adhere to prior to telecasting/publishing any content."
Noting a growing dependence on online platforms for news material, NBDSA observed,
"Broadcasters/digital news publishers are using content and information widely circulated on social media as sources for their broadcasts/publications."
It cautioned that while such platforms can assist in news gathering, they also carry inherent risks.
"While social media can be instrumental in gathering and reporting information, it also carries the risk of spreading distorted information, misinformation, fake news and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content, including deepfakes. Any information/news gathered from social media must be used only in strict adherence to the principles enshrined in the Code of Conduct," said NBDSA.
The authority also laid down fresh guidelines for news broadcasters on how material sourced from social media should be used.
All information, images, and videos from social media must be verified before broadcast or publication;
Content should be corroborated through on-ground reporting and reliable sources such as official agencies or eyewitnesses;
Visual material should be checked for manipulation or AI generation wherever feasible;
Content must not be presented out of context in a manner that may mislead viewers;
Higher scrutiny must apply in sensitive matters involving communal issues, public disorder, crime or conflict;
Disclaimers stating that content is unverified do not absolve responsibility for accuracy.
The second broadcast aired by Zee Telugu related to the arrest of transgender persons, where unrelated photographs were aired and the individuals were portrayed as not truly transgender, but as men allegedly pretending to be transgender women, and described as “fake.”
The broadcaster said the images had come from the police and later claimed the caption was corrected.
However, the NBDSA noted that no documents were produced to prove the source of the photographs, and that the wording had been used without proper verification before the programme was aired.
"No documentary evidence is produced in support of this assertion. Moreover, the broadcaster itself accepted that it had corrected the error by removing the word 'fake'. NBDSA observed that, as far as the use of the word 'fake' is concerned, the broadcaster should exercise caution and, in accordance with the principle of accuracy, verify facts before broadcasting any content," the order said.
Holding that the use of unrelated visuals and unverified language breached broadcasting standards and undermined the dignity of individuals shown, NBDSA directed the removal of the images and imposed an additional ₹1 lakh fine.
[Read Orders]