Hyderabad: Journalists’ unions in Telangana criticised GO 252, issued for granting new accreditation cards, calling it completely flawed and harmful to journalists’ rights and self-respect.
At a media conference at the Press Club, Somajiguda, Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ) state general secretary Asani Maruti Sagar said the order created divisions among journalists instead of ensuring equal benefits.
Recalling events after the formation of Telangana, he said accreditation cards were issued to around 23,000 journalists following directions from then chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, under the leadership of then Media Academy chairman Allam Narayana. At that time, authorities also recognised desk journalists and brought them under a single framework.
Maruti Sagar alleged that a journalists’ union active in two states opposed the move earlier. According to him, the national leader of that union now heads the Media Academy, which led to desk journalists being separated again.
He criticised the introduction of two cards—the media accreditation card and media card—saying the government failed to clarify the benefits of each. Journalists, he added, should receive uniform benefits without discrimination.
GO 252 may cut over 10,000 accreditation cards
Maruti Sagar said the new norms under GO 252 could lead to the elimination of over 10,000 accreditation cards. Many journalists, he warned, would lose cards they had held as a right for years.
Opposing the proposal for a separate media card, he said the move would widen divisions between reporters and desk journalists. He demanded equal benefits for all journalists.
Referring to GO 239, he said cable channels earlier received 12 state-level and four district-level accreditations. However, he questioned why the present order denied even a single state-level card to cable channels under Media Academy chairman Srinivas Reddy.
Under earlier norms, mandals with over one lakh population received additional cards, he said. Now, the government restricted mandals to one card and removed constituency-level cards altogether. This change, he added, caused serious injustice to part-time reporters.
Maruti Sagar alleged that incorrect inputs given to the Chief Minister and Information Minister by the Media Academy leadership led to the issuance of GO 252. He demanded an immediate review to ensure accreditation for all eligible journalists.
TENJU state general secretary A. Ramanakumar and treasurer P. Yoganand criticised the increase in minimum experience for independent journalists from 10 to 15 years. They also alleged large cuts in accreditations for major newspapers and satellite channels.
IJU national executive member Avvari Bhasar questioned the inclusion of Press Council of India members in the Media Accreditation Committee. Several district-level union leaders, including representatives from Hyderabad, attended the meeting.
The unions announced statewide protests on December 27 in front of district collectorates, demanding immediate revision of GO 252. They warned of intensified agitation if the government failed to act.