The Editors Guild of India on “paid news”
The Editors Guild of India in its annual general meeting on December 22, 2009 in New Delhi strongly condemned the practice of paid news, which, in its opinion, whittled the foundations of Indian journalism. The Guild called upon all editors in the country to desist from publishing any form of advertisements which masquerade as news. The guild took cognisance of the fact that based on data compiled by media monitoring agency AdEx (a unit of TAM Media Research Private Ltd), which was reported in the Mint on December 2, 2009, that in the assembly elections in Maharashtra in October 2009, the total advertising volume (measured in column centimetres) in Marathi newspapers declined by around one-fifth from the levels in 2004, suggesting the possibility of the increased incidence of advertisements disguised as news.
The Guild noted that it had always stood for publication of news which is in public interest, news which has been gathered due to the professional efforts of journalists and news which is not influenced by malice, bias, favouritism or monetary influence. The Guild also noted that it is imperative upon news organisations to clearly distinguish between news and advertisements with full and proper disclosure norms, so that no reader and viewer is tricked by any subterfuge of advertisements published and broadcast in the same format, language and style of news.
The Guild decried the unsavoury and unacceptable practice of some political parties and candidates offering payment for “news packages” to news media and its representatives to publish and telecast eulogising and misleading news reports on the political parties. It held both the media organisations and editors who indulge in it, and the customers who offer payment for such “paid news”, guilty of undermining the free and fair press. It further elaborated that such irresponsible acts by a few media organisations and journalists is discrediting the entire media of the country, which has a glorious tradition of safeguarding democratic rights and exposing all kinds of injustices and inequities. The Guild expressed deep shock over the fact that companies, organisations and individuals, apart from political parties, also used the “paid news” practice. The Guild also deplored the practice of “private treaties” where news organisations accepted free equity in unlisted companies in lieu of promoting these companies through news columns and television news programmes.
The Editors’ Guild of India, at the same meeting, announced the formation of an ethics committee headed by Shri T. N. Ninan of Business Standard, to curb the practice of publishing advertisements masquerading as news. The other members on the committee include veteran journalists Shri B.G. Verghese, Shri Sumit Chakravarty and Km Madhu Kishwar. The immediate task of the panel will be to frame a code of ethics in the context of the “paid news” phenomenon.
vivek
July 15, 2010 at 9:41 pm
जागरण के मालिकों-मैनेजरों शर्म से डूब मरो…. पढ़ लो क्या लिखा है इस रिपोर्ट में…. निशिकांत ठाकुर ने तो नाक कटा दी है. ये हिस्सा जरूर पढ़ें- ”In a formal letter handed over to the Press Council of India on January 10, 2010, Shri Nishikant Thakur, Chief General Manager, Jagran Prakashan Ltd., claimed that the controversy relating to “paid news” was “nothing but rumours spread by lost candidates in frustration”. Describing the allegations as “frivolous” and “factually” incorrect, Shri Thakur claimed that he “could say with certainty that no editor of a reputed newspaper in the country is distorting news for money”. He added that amount spent on “publicity material” in newspapers is “marginal” in comparison to the total expenses incurred by candidates standing for elections.
Shri Thakur claimed that the ceilings of expenditure laid down by the Election Commission of India were “unrealistic” and “out of tune with reality”. Further, he claimed that attempts by candidates to influence individual reports “in the rush” of election coverage could go “undetected by the editorial board” of the concerned newspaper. He suggests that there should be “state funding” of elections, that the Election Commission of India should “implement appropriate measures” to verify expenses incurred by candidates and also that there should be “inner party democracy” in political parties.
Shri Thakur argues that the right of the citizen to get “un-polluted information” needs to be balanced by “the rights of the media to conduct its business in an economically viable manner which is also guaranteed by the Constitution of India subject to permissible legal restrictions”. He adds that the press has the right to “project (the) good achievements of (a) particular candidate” and concludes with the assertion that what is required are electoral reforms, systemic correction and not merely “limb operation”. ”
Dilip Dugar
July 16, 2010 at 6:52 am
This is a wonderful report by press council.Bhadas has also done great job by publishing this report.
Anuj
July 16, 2010 at 7:47 am
Yashwant jee, Prabhash jee ke nam se bani website http://www.prabhashjoshi.in par kal ye report sarwajanik hui hai, kam se kam iska ullekh to kar dete.
anshu
July 16, 2010 at 7:53 am
पैसे के बदले खबर पर जोशी की मुहिम का नतीजा रहा कि प्रेस काउंसिल की ओर से गठित टीम ने 72 पेज की रपट दी है. जो देश भर की हालत उजागर करती है. लेकिन बड़े मीडिया घरानों के दबाव में दूसरी 12 सदस्यीय टीम बनी जिसने महज आठ पेज में रपट दी है
RAKESH SHARMA, KURUKSHETRA
July 17, 2010 at 9:22 am
YASHWANT JI JHOOTH BOLNE KI BHI EK HADH HOTI HAI. DAINIK JAGRAN NE TO YEH HADH TOD DI HAI. JO LOG NETAON PER ILZAAM LAGA RAHEN HAI WAHI LOG VASOOLI ABHIYAAN KE MUKHIYA THE. COMPANY PER PAID NEWS KA ILZAAM IS LIYE NAHI LAG SAKTA KYOKIN COMPANY KE ACCOUNT MAIN PAISE JAMAA KARANE KI BAJAAY MAALIK CHUPCHAP SAARA MAAL APNE GHAR UDAA LE GAYE. IS VASOOLI KE HUM MAADHYAM RAHEN HAIN, ISLIYE CHORI OR SEENAZORI KI ISS ADAA KO DEKH AB CHUP RAHNA MUSHKIL HAI. AAJ SHAAM TAK IS JHUTH SE PARDAA UDTHANE KE LIYE AAPKE PASS PUKHTA PAMAAN HONGE. LOKSABHA CHUNAAV MAIN FARIDABAD (HARYANA) SE 13 LAKH OR VIDHANSABHA CHUNAAV MAIN 37.75 LAKH RUPYEE PAID NEWS KE TOUR PER VASOOLE GAYE THE. COMPANY KE AACOUNT MAIN YEH PAISE JAMAA NAHIN HAIN.
RAKESH SHARMA, KURUKSHETRA
94677-66607
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