Speech of Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Election Commissioner of India at the Seminar on Paid News organized by EGI and IWPC on 13th March, 2010

“Like most of you I too have grown with news. I have found news as essential in the conduct of my professional and personal life. Over the decades, the approach to news both from providers and receivers has changed quite a bit. But these changes have largely related to presentation and formats. But news has remained news. In the increasingly competitive world of media, we have come across terms like morning news, evening news, prime-time news, headline news, latest news and more recently breaking news. But, paid news? This coinage does not fall within the nationality of news even by the farthest stretch of imagination. In fact, it represents the epitome of anti-news. If you allow me to remove the layer of politeness provided by English language, the Hindi equivalent could be “ Kharidi Hui Khabar”, or “Bikau Khabar” or even something more outrageous, depending on the accuracy that a better translator can bring in. Paid news is downright unethical, and sinister.

ASSOCHAM AND FROST & SULLIVAN have projected that total broadband subscriber count will reach around 275 million by FY-2015 from approximately 9 million as of now as submarine cable capacity is expected to grow and supply of capacities is likely to increase significantly with adoption of wireless broadband (BWA).

The overall broadband subscribers base stands at around 9 million in Indian market as of now and is seen to be significantly under-penetrated, says the paper on ‘Dawn of the Digital Decade’, jointly brought out by ASSOCHAM and Frost & Sullivan.

“PAID news is like a snake whose hood is down and tail underground. It is not easy to pull it out. There is circumstantial evidence of all type, but little proof.” So said S V Quraishi, one of the election commissioners in a recent article.

Noting that the “DNA” of Indian media organisations has changed after liberalisation, vice president Hamid Ansari said on  January 28, 2010: “That the phenomenon of paid news and coverage package have a potential to tarnish the polity and destabilise the country’s economy.”

Many governments across the world are actively promoting public access and some are turning libraries, museums and post offices into Internet cafés. In Bhutan, for example, 40 per cent of all localities have a Public Internet Access Centre. Since 2003, the Royal Government of Bhutan, in cooperation with ITU, has been revamping post offices in remote and rural locations into ICT centres, allowing rural inhabitants to join the information society. In Mexico, almost 40 per cent of the 7000 public libraries offer visitors Internet access. All archives have a broadband Internet connection and efforts are being made to digitize all the information.

Paid news is not free speech. The commission is concerned about the undue influence that paid news can create in the mind of the voter. It is against free and fair polls. It could derail democracy. This is the address S Y Quraishi, Election Commissioner made to a seminar on paid news in Delhi on March 13, reprinted on March 12, 2010 by the Indian Express.

Social networking site Facebook announced that it will set up its office in Hyderabad to support the growing number of users, advertisers and developers in India and globally.

Facebook has seen exponential growth in recent months and has more than eight million active users in India, it said in a statement.

“Paid news” is a serious matter as it influences the functioning of a free press. The media, acts as a repository of public trust for conveying correct and true information to the people. However, when paid information is presented as news content, it could mislead the public and thereby hamper their judgment to form a correct opinion. Thus, there is no denying the fact that there is an urgent need to protect public’s right to correct and unbiased information.

Every issue is now reduced to a fight between individuals, heroic, villainous or just fun figures. So the complex issues behind the shunning of Pakistani cricketers by the Indian Premier League are reduced to a fight between Shah Rukh Khan and Bal Thackeray. (As one television channel began its programme: “Shah Rukh stands tall. His message to the nation …”). The agonies of Bundelkhand are not about hunger and distress in our Tiger Economy. They are just a stand-off between Rahul Gandhi and Mayawati. The issues of language and migrations in Maharashtra are merely a battle between Rahul Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray. And the coverage is all about who blinked first, who lost face.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has approved publication of Indian edition of the foreign magazine ‘Fortune’ under title “Fortune India”, dealing with News and Current Affairs by M/s Business media private Limited, subject to the following conditions:

(i) That the Indian company shall obtain requisite approval to enter into financial arrangements (such as royalty payment etc.) with the owners of the foreign magazines as per the rules and regulations of the Government of India issued in the matter from time to time.

The newspaper world has been cast into turmoil over the last few weeks. First, there was the furore, within media circles, over The Times of India group deploying ‘paid content’ — or what in plain words means — selling news.

The group has a division called Medianet complete with a rate card for the sale of news.

For lay readers, it must be clarified that the sale of news is different and distinct from paid advertisements, advertorials or special supplements, all of which are clearly identified as ‘sponsored features,’ while paid news is not.

Sting operations by various television channels are a subject of debate over media ethics with the number of news channels increasing day by day, one or other television channel conducts a sting operation across the country. Some target corrupt officials. Some other sting operations chase politicians in power. Some expose the wrong doings of public life. Many such operations invade private life of high and mighty.  In an age of sensationalism the sting operations have become effective means of capturing the audience. The myriad hour, multi channel television boom is propelling the phenomenon of sting operations.

Journalists as a tribe tend to be cynical and self-righteous in equal measure. The cynicism leads us to believe that the glass is always half empty. Our self-righteous streak drives us into spasms of rage when we are accused of lowering ethical standards. The ‘paid news’ crisis calls for neither an overdose of cynicism nor another bout of self-righteousness. What is required is a robust pragmatism that accepts the problem confronting the profession, but also sees it as an opportunity to restore falling credibility.

We need to realize that ‘paid news’ is not some overnight phenomenon that began with election ‘packages’. Film and sports journalism, for example, has been forced to blur the lines with public relations for some time now. Corporate India has also been a step ahead of political India: ‘private treaties’ by which a newspaper enters into agreements with business groups to ensure favourable coverage in return for an equity stake in the company has been in existence for several years now. A political candidate who pays for favourable media coverage is not guaranteed victory, a corporate house through a ‘private treaty’ is almost guaranteed lasting immunity against journalistic ‘objectivity’.

FOR FULL TEXT:

A new phenomenon called “paid news” has entered the Indian lexicon. This is the fraud being perpetrated by the political establishment and some unscrupulous sections of the media during elections, by publishing thinly disguised propaganda material as news. Serious concern has been expressed by a lot of people but it is not clear as to what exactly can be done, how, and by whom.

FOR FULL TEXT:

- Professor Madabhushi Sridhar

Director, Center for Media Law Studies & Policy

NALSAR University of Law Hyderabad

If newspaper writes a false story, it is undoubtedly an unethical act. But if media propagates falsity during elections, it could be either electoral crime or corrupt practice. The paid-news syndrome is no more an issue of impropriety, but it is a case of massive perpetration of crimes under Representation of Peoples Act 1951 and Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The media watches everyone but itself, commented an argumentative friend the other day.

How many ‘sting operations’ has the media done on any of its own, say on the ‘Paid News’ controversy?

I was at a loss.

The morality of sting operations is a debatable topic but the larger point demanded a response.

Instances of “paid news” getting highlighted in recent months, especially in vernacular media, by tailoring reports to promote business interests are a matter of grave concern, Chairperson of Prasar Bharati Mrinal Pandey said.

The difference between news and advertisements have come down as advertising agencies have begun “enticing” editors to publish reports to promote their products by offering sops to tide over crisis, she told a meet-the-press programme in Kozhikode .

The concept of a wide range of human rights ranging from personal to social and political rights. Several international treaties, conventions and the constitutional and legal measures recognize the human rights. Right to education , health , right to life , right to privacy, right to free speech, fair trial ,right against abuse, right to form an association, right against illegal detention, right of movement, right to information , etc., form a wide spectrum of human rights that need to be zealously protected .  Media play an important role in this crusade against violation of human rights. State and non state actors resort to violation of human rights.

E-media telecasts in Andhra Pradesh created legal, social and political controversies besides ‘provoking’ arson against a corporate giant, Reliance. A TV debate laced with rumours of conspiracy, around mysterious and accidental death of Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy on September 2, 2009 in a helicopter crash kicked up troubles raising doubts about responsibility of media, political parties and the response of the Rosaiah Government. Finally at least three channels of vibrant electronic media in Hyderabad are going to face both criminal and civil litigation from Reliance corporate body.

Top news managers from Pakistans eight television channels have voluntarily evolved and agreed guidelines, governing terrorism coverage.

Representatives of KTN, Samaa, DawnNews, Dunya, Express News & Express 24/7, ARY, Geo and Aaj television met in Karachi to successfully conclude a debate on how best to respond to viewer feedback on reporting incidents where large-scale loss of human life has occurred.

Review of the year – 2009

The Ministry of I &B as the facilitator for the media in Broadcast, Film and Print sectors carried forward its mandate, taking significant policy initiatives and administrative measures in the year 2009. Global attention in 2009 was focussed on Indian film sector when ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Smile Pinky’ Team bagged the prestigious Oscar Awards. The year also saw completion of 50 years of Public Service Broadcasting, 50 years of setting up of Directorate of Field publicity as also commemoration of 75 years of Assamese Cinema at the 40th edition of International Film Festival of India.