Stating that the media plays a significant role in conducting the Lok Sabha general elections in a free, fair, and peaceful manner, the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Thursday said that during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), publishing and broadcasting news and advertisements according to the rules and guidelines set by the Press Council of India (PCI) for print media and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) for electronic media is mandatory. Agarwal said this while chairing a review meeting here in Chandigarh regarding the preparations for the Lok Sabha general elections in 2024.

The Chief Electoral Officer said that after MCC implementation, any candidate or political party giving advertisements for printing or broadcasting in print or electronic media will be required to verify whether the advertisement has been certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC).

He said that the MCMC committee has been formed at the central, state, and district levels, and candidates or political parties don't need to obtain certification only from Haryana's MCMC committee. Candidates or political parties can also obtain certification from the MCMC committee located in Delhi, which will also be valid in Haryana.

Agarwal, providing information about the rules and guidelines set by the Press Council of India and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, said that during the MCC, the media should refrain from broadcasting communal, illegal, casteist, and anti-national news.

He said that various types of advertising material are printed by candidates and political parties for election campaigning, so it is necessary to send the printed material by the publisher and printer to the office of the concerned District Magistrate or Chief Electoral Officer.

He said that if any individual prints or broadcasts advertising material on behalf of a candidate or political party, then the media organization will have to check whether the individual has obtained consent from the candidate or political party. If advertising material is being printed or broadcasted with the consent of the candidate or political party, then the expenditure of the advertisement will be added to the election expenses of that candidate or political party. If any advertising is being done without the consent of the candidate or political party, a case will be filed against that individual, Agarwal added.

The Chief Electoral Officer said that the media should ensure balanced and unbiased reporting so that citizens receive accurate and truthful news, avoiding any kind of misinformation. To increase voters' trust, the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used again this time. When the voter casts his vote, the VVPAT screen will display the voter's vote for 7 seconds. This gives the voter the confidence that the vote he has cast has gone to the intended candidate, he added.