Telangana revises media accreditation rules, mandates 33% reservation for women journalists


Hyderabad (Same Day): The Telangana government has introduced a series of significant reforms to its media accreditation framework, including a mandatory 33% reservation for women journalists, through amendments to the Telangana Media Accreditation Rules, 2025.

The revised rules were notified through G.O. Ms. No. 103 issued by the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department on January 24, 2026. The order was issued by Special Secretary C.H. Priyanka and aims to enhance inclusivity, strengthen grassroots journalism and streamline accreditation practices in the State.

A key feature of the amendments is the requirement that media organisations allocate 33% of desk journalist accreditation positions to women. The government has also directed that women journalists be given priority in the grant of accreditation cards, marking a major policy push towards gender equity in the journalism profession.

The government has also sought to strengthen field-level reporting by expanding accreditation entitlements at the mandal and State levels. In mandals with a population exceeding 1.5 lakh, newspapers with a circulation of over 2.5 lakh will now be eligible for one additional accreditation card.

At the State level, large newspapers with a circulation above 2.5 lakh will receive one additional accreditation card each in the sports, culture and film categories. Medium-sized newspapers with a circulation between 75,001 and 2.5 lakh will be eligible for one additional card in any one of these categories.

In an effort to curb misuse of press identification, the amendments introduce stricter norms for the use of “Press” stickers on vehicles. Only journalists holding valid, government-issued accreditation cards will be permitted to use such stickers, with penalties proposed for unauthorised or fraudulent usage.

The reforms also include institutional changes. The State Media Accreditation Committee (SMAC) has been expanded to include a representative from the Hyderabad Press Club and a desk journalist from a major daily, aimed at making the body more representative.

As part of terminological standardisation, the term “media card” has been officially replaced with “accreditation card” across the rules. Additionally, the category earlier referred to as “Urdu Big Newspaper” has been renamed “Urdu Daily Newspaper”.

Journalist associations have welcomed the amendments, describing them as a progressive step towards professionalising media practices, improving representation and ensuring greater accountability in the accreditation process across Telangana.

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