| The Election Commission has decided to go public with the names of the politicians found indulged in paid news violation by uploading their names on its website. The decision comes in the wake of swelling numbers of such cases with the latest report revealing 276 cases in Gujarat and 104 in Himachal Pradesh in the recent Assembly polls where the politicians themselves have confessed that they had paid some dailies for publishing some news articles and so in their favour. Buying a news space in major dailies especially by politicians during election period is nothing new. There are 902 such cases—136 among them are accepted ones— recorded in the last Assembly polls of West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttrakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The 2010 Bihar polls too witnessed similar cases. Moreover, who is unaware of Ashok Chavan’s story which was published in three different dailies, during 2009 state polls, with same words and same structure of the sentence? |
The Election Commission of India, on 15 January, served notice to Narottam Mishara, a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Madhya Pradesh, over 42 election advertisements of his in the garb of news which were published during state election in 2008. The EC also named four newspapers—Dainik Bhaskar, Nai Duniya, Aachran and Dainik Datya Prakesh— in its notice. It is no surprise to hear the name of some local dailies or the newspapers with comparatively low readership like Udyog Vyapar Times, Purvanchal Ki Raahi and Dainik Aaj found guilty of selling news spaces to politicians against cash or a kind of consideration. What comes as a great shock is the announcement of the Press Council of India adding the names of some leading dailies like Dainik Jagran, Dainik Hindustan, Hindustan Times and Rashtriya Sahara in the list.
Paid news is defined as “any news or analysis appearing in the media (print and electronics) for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” Though it is considered an offence yet the government seems not serious to incorporate it into the list of punishable ones despite repeated demand from the Press Council of India and others. In the case of all above mentioned newspapers found indulged in malpractices, what PCI could do was only to censure and admonish them. Subsequently, they were left with a simple ‘it should not be repeated’ warning in the absence of any provision to punish the guilty.
“What is bad about paid news? One is free to take a ride on media to advertise his achievements. You don’t have any objection on purchasing even front page of a leading daily for some corporate advertisements. Then how can you talk of prosecuting someone on the charge of paying for a little space in order to get his news published,” argues a friend of mine. Another one jumps in support of him saying, “You can easily divide a newspaper into two: news and advertisements. One cannot get 18-20 blank pages either against a petty Rs. 4-5. Ads are the place where the dailies compensate their loss from. Besides, all organisations advertise their achievements through dailies and the latter demand a heavy amount of cash in order to give a space to their news.”
Well, one should not have any objection on publishing even full page advertisement against an awesome amount of money. But, when it comes to the payment for publishing a piece of self-promoted news, it must be considered condemnable because there is a difference between a news story and an advertisement. One is free to pay to advertise his achievements through advertisements and no one would dare censure him for his act. But the question is ‘Why a person, after expending money, is reiterating on publicising his deeds in the garb of news and not in the form of advertisement despite the fact that the latter is catchier than the former?’ Media is supposed to be neutral in conveying news to the public. It must cover the same with utmost honesty and sincerity— without inclining towards any specific sect and party. “In a democracy, the media has the responsibility to report news honestly...We feel betrayed by the media that is supposed to play an important role in nation-building,” says Sahil Yadav of New Delhi.
In fact, the dailies are the best and shortest way to reach a common man and shape his mind. That’s why the politicians use this tool to attract more voters based on their self-promoted paid-news. They knew that a news item shows that they are actively involved in social activities while the ads are mere allegations of theirs. They think if they managed to get their activities covered ‘positively’ in media, though they have done no activity other than befooling public, it would speak of their devotion to work for betterment of the society while urging public to vote them win so as to continue their ‘public work’.
“Paid news-ads point to the unholy nexus between political parties and media... Besides censure and disqualification, a hefty fine should be levied on those who misuse the media,” suggests MY Shariff of Chennai. Besides prosecuting ‘those who misuse the media’, the PCI should punish those media persons as well who work only to earn money without knowing whether it comes by a hook or a crook. It should also issue some strict guidelines for correspondents travelling here and there to cover different programmes and direct their respective organisations to make arrangement for their lodging and food and not left them on the mercy of the organisers of the same programme so that they may be able to cover its ‘different dimensions’ neutrally. That’s what P Sainath referred to in his article in The Hindu (29 January) saying, “Who funds journalists and channels from India at that World Economic Forum event each year is worth looking at.”
Simultaneously, the Press Council of India should come up with some changes in its legislation and punish the guilty. In case of the guilt proved, both the media person and the politician should be banned from their respective professions: the Election Commission should disqualify the candidate for next two polls while the PCI should restrain the concerned journalists or the dailies for at least a term of five years.
Well, money plays an important role in every walk of life. But, how can one deny being media one of the most important pillars of democracy. Based on that, some media persons, at some places, have been seen bluffing others on the ground of their attachment with media. This writer knows a journalist who blew whistle upon a businessman while the latter refused to give share to the former in his illegally earned money. Both the attitudes are condemnable especially among journalists as they are holding a responsible position in the society. Media persons as well as public should show some responsibility and serve the nation in a better way. Money matters a lot but not more than the service of the nation. Pushing the nation towards destruction and harming its democratic status only to make more and more money cannot be justified at any rate.
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