Court Dismisses Petition for Aviation Media Reporting Guidelines Amid Rising Aircraft Incidents

Increasing Technical Failures in Aircraft

Recently, there has been a noticeable rise in technical malfunctions in aircraft, leading to multiple emergency landings. This ongoing issue has caused significant inconvenience for the general public, primarily due to the negligence of airlines. A particularly alarming incident involved an Air India flight in Ahmedabad, which tragically resulted in the loss of 270 lives. In the aftermath, airlines have been attempting to distance themselves from the responsibility. As media coverage of these lapses increased, calls for stricter regulations emerged, but a petition aimed at enforcing such regulations was ultimately rejected by the court.

Court Rejects Petition for Media Reporting Standards

On Thursday, the Madras High Court dismissed a petition requesting the establishment of comprehensive guidelines for aviation-related media reporting. The petition argued that such measures would prevent premature or speculative statements until official investigations are concluded. The bench, led by Chief Justice M.M. Shreevastava and Justice Sundar Mohan, rejected the public interest litigation filed by advocate M. Praveen.

Concerns Raised in the Petition

In his petition, Praveen highlighted the widespread issue of unverified information being disseminated across news media, social media platforms, and digital channels following aviation accidents. He pointed out that pilots are often unjustly blamed due to biased reporting. This practice not only harms their reputation and career prospects but also affects their personal dignity and mental well-being. The Ahmedabad plane crash serves as a prime example, where speculative media reports implicated the flight crew while investigations were still ongoing, resulting in the tragic loss of 260 lives.