Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) highlighted that attacks on journalists have increased. On Thursday, they demanded the State government form a committee to investigate online trolling of journalists, especially women journalists, and take necessary actions.
The FGG President, M Padmanabha Reddy, wrote to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. He stressed that protecting journalists and maintaining press freedom is crucial for a healthy democracy. He urged the government to take immediate and decisive action.
Padmanabha Reddy suggested hiring experts to identify and dismantle troll farms. He also recommended uncovering the social media connections of political parties and other groups. He emphasized that political parties should issue ethical guidelines for their social media teams, promoting appropriate language and constructive political discourse.
He also called on the IT industry to identify and take action against trolls, both named and anonymous, especially those with technical backgrounds. He urged the Telangana Cyber Crime Police and Cyber Security Bureau to respond swiftly to complaints from journalists about abuse and threats.
Reddy noted the increasing instances of organized online trolling, harassment, and physical threats against journalists in Telangana. He mentioned that this malicious trend undermines press freedom and poses a significant threat to the safety of journalists. He added that journalists in the Telugu states are being targeted through online harassment, trolling, and abusive language simply for reporting news.
