Patna, June 25: Reaffirming the Centre's commitment to a free press, information and broadcasting minister Ravishanker Prasad today suggested the media to exercise utmost caution while reporting sensitive events like terror strikes in the larger national interest. "We don't believe in censorship and are irrevocably committed to a free press. But the media should exercise utmost caution while reporting sensitive events like terror strikes in the larger national interest.... Self-imposed restraint is a must for any journalistic fraternity in a thriving democracy," he said addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Press Club of Bihar and News and feature Syndicate here.
Citing an example, he referred to the Akshardham temple terror strike saying that several private news channels went on air informing the public that the commandos were about to enter the shrine. Such explicit coverage could have proved detrimental to national interest.

"Information is power and we don't want the people to be denied this power. But the electronic media should know that bosses of the terrorists sitting across the border having access to their channels would have happily passed on the information on their mobile phones to their operatives inside the temple to get ready for the assault," he said.
The minister recalled the September 11 attack on World Trade Centre and said despite being free and independent news organisations did not show the bodies of the victims lined up or their grieving relatives. Bureau Report