The Election Commission has sent the guidelines issued by the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) for broadcast media to the Chief electoral officers of all States ahead of the general elections scheduled next month. They have also been asked to make all the news channels, radio, and cable channels and other broadcast media aware of the guidelines.
According to the guidelines issued by the NBSA, it was essential for the people to know the complete information related to elections so that they exercise their franchise in a free and fair environment.
The direction also emphasised the need for the channels and other broadcast media to share such information in an accurate and in an impartial way, officials here said in a statement.
The media should ensure that they do not broadcast anything that promotes feelings of enmity or hatred between people, triggers violence, and creates discontentment among them. Broadcasting of anything that promotes caste and communal feeling is against election rules.
The news broadcasters should endeavour to inform the public in an objective manner about relevant electoral matters, political parties , candidates, campaign issues and voting process as per rules and regulation laid down under the Representation of People Act 1951 and by the Election Commission,
Special care must be taken to ensure that every element of a news or programmes dealing with elections and election related matters is accurate on all facts relating to events, dates, places and quotes.
In case the media by mistake broadcasts any inaccurate information, the media must correct it as soon as possible it comes to its notice with the same prominence as was given to original broadcast, it said.
The guidelines also have urged the broadcaster to take special care to report opinion polls accurately and fairly by disclosing to viewers as to who commissioned, conducted, and paid for the conduct of the opinion polls and the broadcast.