We missed this earlier: The Indian Digital Publishers Content Grievance Council (IDPCGC) was approved in October 2021, as a level II self-regulatory body for publishers of news and current affairs content under the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, as per a notification on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s (MIB) website. The application was submitted by the Confederation of Online Media in August 2021, the document revealed. The IT Rules, 2021 have laid down a Grievance Redressal Mechanism consisting of a three-tier structure for publishers of news and curated content. Level I- Self-regulation by the publishers; Level II- Self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the publishers; Level III- Oversight mechanism by the Central Government A self-regulatory body of publishers is supposed to be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court, high court, or an eminent person from the field of media, broadcasting, entertainment, child rights, and human rights, among others. It can have another six members in the committee. Such a body will oversee whether the publisher adheres to the Code of Ethics and address grievances that have not been resolved by publishers within a period of fifteen days. It is important to understand which bodies have obtained approval from MIB as there is a lot of opacity around the criteria based on which the ministry grants its assent to these bodies. It is yet to release a list of reasons which it factors into its decision-making. Who will be a part of the IDPCGC? The IDPCGC will be headed by the former…
