Press Council of India (PCI) members A. Amarnath and C.K. Naik have cautioned the media against the scourge of paid news.
On a visit to the State to monitor the performance of the media during the run-up to the May 16 Assembly elections, the PCI members asked the media to maintain strict vigil against paid news in any form.
Journalists, media observers and civil society have a major role to play in curbing the menace of paid news, which ran counter to the spirit of democracy, they said, while addressing a meeting of editors and senior journalists here on Wednesday.
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Chief Electoral Officer E.K. Majhi and members of the State and district level Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) attended the meeting.
The PCI enquired the mediapersons about the news items appearing in the print and electronic media in connection with the elections, facilities being provided by the Election Commission for coverage of the election process, and the issues that the media faced while covering the elections. The PCI members would visit various districts in the coming days.