Petition in Madras High Court seeks guidelines for aviation related media reporting

Chennai: An advocate on Thursday filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking framing and implementation of detailed guidelines for aviation related media reporting to ensure that no premature statements are made until official investigations are complete.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocate M Pravin, filed in the wake of the June 12 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, is likely to come up for hearing early.

In his petition, Pravin submitted that it was a well known fact that after aviation incidents, news media, social media platforms and digital intermediaries frequently publish "unverified content" that prejudges and attribute blame to pilots.

This practice not only damages their reputation and career prospects but also affects their personal dignity and mental well-being. One such instance occurred following the aviation accident on June 12, 2025 (Ahmedabad incident), which led to wide circulation of speculative media reports attributing fault to the flight crew while the investigation remained pending.

He said he submitted a representation, dated July 14, 2025 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The representation sought institutional safeguards including the issuance of advisories to media houses, the enforcement of confidentiality protocols regarding pilot identities and preliminary investigation findings, and the formulation of content moderation guidelines for digital platforms under the IT Rules.

Despite the gravity of these concerns and the public interest involved, no effective action has been taken till date by the authorities, he added.

He said the "premature blame cast on pilots" in the aftermath of aviation accidents violates the principle of presumption of innocence and the fundamental right to dignity and privacy guaranteed under Article 14, 19 (a) and 21 of the Constitution.

The inaction and the failure of the authorities to institute effective regulatory safeguards have serious implications not only for aviation safety but also for the sanctity of fair and just media reporting in our digital age.

He said such inaction was contrary to the statutory obligations imposed on the authorities under applicable laws such as Information Technology Act and the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules as well as aviation regulations.

He said the publication of unverified, speculative and defamatory, or misleading content related to aviation accidents severely harms the reputation of the concerned professionals, diminishes public trust and "casts an unfair and damaging impression on the aviation system as a whole." Such reporting may also prejudice or interfere with the fairness of ongoing investigation or proceedings.

Therefore, the present issue calls for urgent collaboration among the departments and the relevant stakeholders to establish mechanisms that promote responsible and ethical digital reporting.