Press Council chairman Markandey Katju, who has never missed a chance to take a potshot at all and sundry, has yet to find a way to address the menace of paid news and misleading advertisements, both coming under the domain of the PCI.
An RTI response has revealed that the Press Council of India closed most of the complaints about paid news because of non-pursuance while some cases of misleading advertisements were closed after “settlement.”
Of the 17 complaints of paid news that the Council received during 2009-10 after the lok Sabha polls, it dismissed nine of them for non-pursuance while warning was given to concerned newspapers in eight cases for publication of misleading news/articles/ advertisement during elections.
In 2010-11, the Council received just two complaints of which one against publication of false and defamatory news with the motive to blackmail was closed for non-pursuance while another for fraud against shareholders and paid news was closed for being outside its charter.
The council received 11 complaints in 2011-2012 of which one was by TDP MP Nama Nagswara Rao against publication of falsehood and malicious campaign was closed due to non-pursuance while in 10 other cases censured and warning was given for paid news.
Of the nine complaints of paid news received during 2012-13, one was closed on the ground of time barred while six others were closed due to non-pursuance. Two cases of paid news complaints are still under consideration.
As far as complaints against newspapers for publication of misleading advertisements are concerned, most of them were disposed of on the ground of non-pursuance, settlement and insufficient ground of inquiry, the RTI response has revealed.
“The Press Council must not close cases once filed with it because of non-pursuance or settlement. Blackmailers unnecessarily harassing media should be booked under some criminal offence in case their complaints are found baseless and frivolous,” demanded Subhash K Aggarwal.