The Election Commission notice, asking former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to show cause as to why he should not be disqualified in the “paid news” case is aimed as much at the senior Congress leader as a section of the media.
The crux of the case relates to a series of articles and news items in sections of the media in Maharashtra in praise of Mr. Chavan as well as publication of 25 advertisements on his election campaign.
The issue of paid news has been a serious concern for the Commission as well as several institutions related to the media. The Press Council of India (PCI) had come out with a detailed report on the “paid news” in the latter half of 2009 and the Election Commission initiated its first considered steps against it in 2010.
The Commission accepted the PCI definition of “paid news” as any news or analysis appearing in any media (print and electronic) for a price in cash or kind and went on to appoint Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at district and State-levels for certification of advertisements and keeping a check on violations.
In Mr. Chavan’s case, after several hearings, including appeals in the High Court as well as Supreme Court, the Commission was convinced that during the Maharashtra Assembly election in 2009, a large number of news items, articles, analysis and items marked “advertisements” and “advertorials” appeared in various newspapers, newspaper supplements, pamphlets and magazines eulogising Mr. Chavan, which were in fact paid news published for consideration in kind or cash. This spending, however, did not reflect in Mr. Chavan’s poll campaign expenses.
The Commission had sought comments of four newspapers – Lokmat , Pudhari , Maharashtra Times and Deshonnati – in which this material appeared. The newspapers denied the allegation of any payment contending that the impugned “paid news” were, in fact, news or editorials or supplements published by them gratuitously as they had either links with, or leanings towards, the Congress and Mr. Chavan.
On the contention of the Lokmat newspaper that it strongly believed that the Congress was the only party which offered a secular option to the electorate, the Commission said it was no excuse to pass off paid news as news.
“While every newspaper/media house is entitled to its own philosophy (which could be akin to a political party’s philosophy), what is sought to be published as news should be untinged by such philosophy as different from editorial. The minimum that is expected of ethical journalism is that the reader is cautioned by suitable disclaimers while such articles are published so that the unwary reader can make suitable allowance in his mind while forming his judgement. This matter assumes greater significance in the election period when the media needs to show greater responsibility,” it said.
