Last week the government issued a 13-point list of guidelines to the media specifying what can and what cannot be done in an emergency. (See "Do's and Dont's for Media," p.4) The press complied-perhaps more than was necessary-and was soon reporting the Defence Ministry blotter only. The army had a separate circular, asking the media to get all operational level information and pictures approved before publication. Then the state-run Gorkhapatra came up with a story reporting over 70 Maoist deaths in an army-Maoist clash in the mid-west. However, no official would confirm the report, nor was there a denial in the same daily. Last week government officials told us it was contemplating taking "action" against the "erring" paper.