Conducting a workshop for the political workers and mediapersons here on Thursday, District Election Officer-cum-Collector Rupa Roshan Sahoo informed that adequate steps have been taken by Election Commission (EC) to amend the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 to consider paid news as an electoral offence as the news is specifically meant to prejudice the voters.
Citing remarks of the Press Council of India (PCI) in this regard, she said any news or analysis appearing in both print and electronic media in exchange of price and kind will be considered as paid news.
Besides, defining the difference between advertisement and news, Sahoo said while advertisements are meant to promote the winning aspects of the contesting candidates, reportedly news is meant to inform and create awareness among the common voters.
Advising the mediapersons to keep them away from paid news, the DEO informed that enforcement of measures against paid news for the first time was taken during the Bihar Assembly elections in 2010.
To curb the growing craze for paid news, ironically the EC has delivered a mechanism by constituting Media Certification and Monitoring Committees at both district and State levels, she said. Among others, ADM Sushama Rani Devi and SP Monoranjan Mohanty spoke.