Wednesday, March 15 2006 11:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Accusing the media of 'motivated trial' and 'indulging in a race to achieve viewership through sensationalism on a competitive basis', the Parliamentary Committee which probed the MPLADS scam yesterday(Mar 14, 2006) asked Government to lay down specific guidelines and norms for sting operators.

While recommending that the four MPs named in the expose be reprimanded and suspended from the Membership of the House till March 22, the 51-page report of the eight-member panel headed by V Kishore Chandra S Deo expressed concern that "The media has been indulging in a race to achieve viewer ship through sensationalism on a competitive basis".

"In this case, a TV channel has implied that all members are susceptible to corruption. Carrying out such operations in an unregulated manner, which cast aspersions on members of Parliament, erode the credibility of our democratic institutions.

"The Committee is, therefore, of the opinion that such motivated trial by the media needs to be regulated. The Committee further feels that the Government, should, through proper authority, lay down specific guidelines and norms for sting operators to ensure that basic journalistic ethics are scrupulously adhered to," the report said.

The Committee noted that the 'DIG team' which conducted the sting operation 'Chakravyuh' and the Star News channel "Without having full and clinching evidence with respect to some members, went ahead airing the entire footage in the name of exposing dealings with regard to MPLAD Scheme as a public interest measure".

"The position taken by mediapersons before the Committee that they did clarify the position while airing such video footage does not carry conviction," it observed.