Bengaluru: Karnataka Union of Working Journalists urges DGP to crack down on fake journalists, RTI blackmailers
The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists has requested the state police to take action against individuals posing as journalists to extort money and misuse the RTI Act. The police have promised to investigate the matter.
Why it matters
This addresses the integrity of the media profession and the potential abuse of transparency laws.
A delegation of the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) met Karnataka Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem and urged the Police Department to initiate stringent legal action against fake journalists and individuals allegedly misusing the Right to Information (RTI) Act for blackmail and extortion.
Led by KUWJ State president Shivananda Tagadur, the delegation expressed concern over the increasing number of people with no connection to the journalism profession allegedly posing as journalists by using visiting cards and the names of media organisations to threaten and extort money from the public and government officials.
The union said such individuals, who neither have the credentials to report news nor any affiliation with recognised media organisations, are tarnishing the reputation of genuine journalists and undermining the credibility of the profession.
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