Only after getting permission from the media certification and monitoring committee set up by the District Administration, cadres of political parties could launch poll campaigns through social media, Collector and District Election Officer M. Ravikumar said here on Friday.
Candidates and parties would have to obtain the committee’s permission for airing or publishing advertisements in the media including cable channels, radio and social media.
A meeting was convened here for the representatives of political parties to apprise them about the regulations imposed by the committee as per the directive of the Election Commission.
The committee members would keep watch on poll-related news and features appearing in print and electronic media ahead of the May 16 Assembly elections.
The committee would examine reports that appear in different publications or in the electronic media, with close similarity in content, adversarial or favourable to a particular candidate, to ascertain whether they belong to the category of paid news.
The committee would be responsible for certification of advertisements, monitoring of news in print and electronic media and keeping records of all election-related news of candidates in the fray.
District Revenue Officer S. Murugaiah and Thoothukudi Sub-Collector and Returning Officer, S. Gopala Sundara Raj and others were present.
