To
The Minister,
Information and Broadcasting
Government of India,
Shastri Bhawan,
New Delhi – 110001
Sub.: Representation of the IFWJ against the new Print Media Advertisement Policy of the Government of India – 2016.
Sir,
This is to draw your attention towards the huge resentment among the print media persons across the country over the new Print Media advertisement policy as issued by the Government on 15.06.20106. It may be noted here that this policy is bound to kill most of the Small and Medium newspapers of the country. This would be biggest onslaught on the freedom of speech and expression after independence.
While the IFWJ is all for the implementation of the relevant labour laws by the newspapers for their employees, it considers that the criteria of (a) owning the printing press for the publication of the newspapers, (b) subscription to wire service of UNI or PIT or Hindustan Samachar and (c) the payment of the annual subscription to the Press Council of India is against the avowed policy of any democratic government which is expected to work for the encouragement to Small and Medium Newspapers.
Therefore, we request you to immediately withdraw this new policy otherwise, there will be uncontrollable agitation by thousands of newspapers and the employees working for them. This policy will render lakhs of newspaper employees jobless as the newspapers will have to close their shops for want of advertisements support from the Central Government and the State Governments.
Small and Medium Newspapers have played stellar role in informing and educating the government policies and programmes to the general public for their benefits. However, this new policy appears to have been adopted at the instance of big newspapers who do not want to see the growth of Small and Medium Newspapers. That is why, we condemn this new advertisement policy of the Government and demand for the forthwith roll back of the abovementioned conditions as imposed on the small and medium newspapers in the interest of their healthy growth.
We hope that the good sense will prevail on the Government and it will not let the situation go out of control.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Vice President
IFWJ