44,706 accreditation cards for journalists

Hyderabad: The State government will issue 44,706 accreditation cards for journalists across Telangana, Revenue, Housing and Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said on Thursday.

He stated that the government was committed to ensuring that every eligible journalist received accreditation cards for journalists in a transparent manner. The Minister added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the government had prioritised the welfare and protection of media professionals.

Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy held a detailed review meeting at the Secretariat with Information and Public Relations Commissioner Chekkapriyanka and CPRO to the Chief Minister G. Malsur. During the meeting, he reviewed the issuance of accreditation cards and the formation of the Accreditation Committee. He directed officials to complete the process quickly and transparently.

Earlier, the government had issued G.O. 252 regarding accreditation cards for journalists. However, after consulting various journalist associations and examining their representations, the government introduced amendments and issued G.O. 103. The revised order expanded eligibility and increased the total number of cards.

Allocation of accreditation cards for journalists across media sectors

With the amendments, the total number of accreditation cards for journalists rose to 44,706 across Print, Electronic and Digital Media sectors. Previously, around 23,000 journalists held accreditation cards. The new decision increased the number by more than 21,000 cards.

In the Print Media category, eight newspapers with circulation above 2.50 lakh will receive 6,256 cards. Twenty-four newspapers with circulation between 75,000 and 2.50 lakh will receive 17,784 cards. Thirty newspapers with circulation between 25,001 and 75,000 will get 3,390 cards.

Further, 169 small newspapers with circulation between 15,001 and 25,000 will receive 11,661 cards. Another 113 small newspapers with circulation below 15,000 will get 226 cards. Periodicals will receive 624 cards, while 20 news agencies will be allotted 68 cards.

In the Electronic and Digital Media segment, 21 satellite channels will receive 4,431 cards. Eight national channels will get 32 cards. One hundred local cable channels will be allotted 200 cards. Digital media platforms will receive 10 cards.

Out of the total 44,706 accreditation cards for journalists, 16,056 will be issued at the State and District levels. The remaining 28,650 cards will be distributed at the Constituency and Mandal levels.

The Minister clarified that the issuance of accreditation cards for journalists would remain a continuous process. He said the government would hold further review meetings whenever necessary and take additional steps in future.

He added that media representatives formed the fourth pillar of democracy and deserved respect, safety and welfare support.