The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been flayed by a Parliamentary panel for miserably failing to take measures required to check paid news and asked it to take concerted, comprehensive and swift action before the next general election to prevent resurfacing of the hydra head of paid news.
The panel found Press Council of India not fulfilling the role expected from it in curbing paid news which was evident from poor disposal status of complaints by PCI wherein 11 of 40 complaints were closed due to lack of pursuance. It suggested setting up a Media Council having eminent persons to look into the media contents both from print media and electronic media with powers to take strong action against the defaulters of paid news.
Under this process Press Council of India should be wound up or revamped with powers to take care of print media and a statutory body be set up for electronic media. However, media owners/interested parties should not be a part of the proposed Media Council, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting said in its report submitted on Monday.
It has also recommended review of election laws to curb the menace in election process. While reviewing the Election laws, the Election Commission should be empowered with not only dealing with the cases relating to suppression of expenditure in election on account of paid news but also taking action against defaulting candidates or concerned media entity indulging in it.
Terming existing penal provisions as insufficient and not effective, the panel called for strict penalty provisions for all parties involved in paid news. The penalty may range from warning, censure, fine and even cancellation/revocation of licence of the media house, imprisonment depending on gravity and repetition of violations. The decision to impost penalty should be prompt and swift to serve as a strong deterrent, it said.
The committee has also taken to task the Ministry for delay in taking decision on cross media holdings/ownership. The ministry had in 2008 referred the issue to TRAI and once again in May 2012 it requested the ministry to examine the matter, it pointed out and asked the Ministry to take the issue on a priority basis and act promptly to prevent monopolistic trend in media.