SC permits news agencies to use audio-video clips for reporting

The Supreme Court has clarified that its recent interim order restricting the sharing and uploading of audio and video clips of court hearings does not prevent news organisations from reporting on judicial proceedings.

The clarification came after the top court noted that “some confusion persists” over its July 24 interim order, which barred posting and uploading of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media and other digital platforms without prior permission of the court administration.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the restriction is confined to the use of audio and video recordings of judicial proceedings in news reports and should not be interpreted as a blanket ban on reportage by media organisations.

“It appears, however, that some confusion persists in respect of paragraph 11 of the earlier order, which this court deems necessary to clarify. The said paragraph makes it clear that the order is not to be construed as imposing a blanket prohibition on the reporting of court proceedings by recognised news outlets,” the court said.

Such outlets may, therefore, continue to report on the proceedings and inform the general public of legal developments and judicial pronouncements, save that audio or video clips of the court proceedings shall not be utilised in the course of such reportage, it said.

“In sum, while news outlets may continue to report on the court proceedings, they shall nonetheless remain bound by the restrictions set out in paragraph 10,” the bench said in its order passed on July 31.

The news organisations, however, will have to follow the restrictions set out in paragraph 10 of the July 24 order.

“As an interim measure, it is directed that there shall be no extraction, modification, dissemination, monetisation, posting, reposting and uploading of audio-video recordings of judicial proceedings on social media or other digital platforms without prior permission of the secretary general of this court or the registrar general of the jurisdictional high courts,” the bench had said.

The top court had also issued notices to the Centre and others, including some social media platforms, seeking their responses on the plea filed by journalist Harshita Grover.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, said the issue raised in the petition was very important.