Summary:
Thiruvananthapuram: Editors Guild of India (EGI) has condemned the state government’s recent directive imposing ‘undue restrictions on the media’ and urged the government to revoke it soon.Terming the circular issued by the state home department on November 15 ‘a brazen attempt at restraining the movement of mediapersons while they are discharging their professional duties’, the EGI said the circular prevented the media from approaching the chief minister, other ministers and higher officials except through the information and public relations department of the state.“This is regressive and a direct assault on press freedom as it forbids journalists from seeking comments from ministers and senior officials, imposes curbs in their movement inside the government secretariat and makes senior government representatives attending public functions out of bounds for them,” said the EGI in a statement published on its website and shared on its social media page.The circular issued in mid-November had instantly triggered criticisms from media houses, Kerala Union of Working Journalists and Indian Journalists Union..