Read Here: Election Commission issued strict measures to check ‘Paid News’ during electoral processes

Read Here: Election Commission issued strict measures to check ‘Paid News’ during electoral processes

Guwahati: In order to check electoral malpractices ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India had directed maximum vigilance by making use of the existing provisions of law so that the incidence of ‘Paid News’ or surrogate advertisements in Print and Electronic media in the context of elections gets arrested.

As per an order copy by the Election Commission of India, the cases of ‘Paid News’ generally manifest in the forms of news articles, reports published about a particular candidate or a party eulogizing them, or similar news articles/reports denigrating the opponents, both intended at unduly influencing the voters.

The Election Commission also stated that recently that the practice of ‘Paid News’ has been on the rise at an alarming proportion. Therefore, the commission is concerned to conduct free and fair elections.

The practice of paid news has to be seen as an attempt to circumvent the provisions of sections 77 and 123 (6) of the R.P. Act 1951.

Legal provisions under section 127 A of the R.P. Act, 1951 make it mandatory for the publisher of an election advertisement, pamphlet etc to print the name and address of the publisher attracts a penalty of imprisonment up to two years and fine upto Rs 2000.

The Commission had also directed that for the purposes of investigation, district level committees can be constituted by the DEOs in each district as soon as election is announced to do vigorous scrutiny of all the newspapers, published or having circulation in the district in order to locate political advertisement in the garb of news coverage appearing within the election period.

The commission had strictly directed the DEOs to closely monitor advertisements released in print media in any form including surrogate advertising in the form of news. The DEOs are further directed to serve notices to candidates/political parties to explain his/her stand as to why the coverage should not be treated as an advertisement. The matter has to be reported to the commission, the order copy stated further.

Similarly, the District Committee should also keep a watch on the election news/features on the electronic media in the district.

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