Paid news' syndrome is a menace and rooting it out is

essential for the health of democracy.

Paid news has assumed both corporate and political dimensions.

Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behaviour with respect to a commercial offering.

INTRODUCTION

• The phenomenon of “paid news” goes beyond the corruption of individual journalists and media companies.

• It has become pervasive, structured and highly organized.

• In the process, it is undermining democracy in India.

DEFINITION OF PAID NEWS

• SCANDALOUS PHENOMENON IN INDIAN MEDIA

• PAID NEWS PART OF TWO MAJOR GROUPS

• PAID NEWS BY PRESS COUNCIL OF INDIA

THE RATE CARD

• Story of politics 15 times a day

• Rs 3 CR per year at

Rs 3000 per min……

• Live telecast of CM’s speech

• Rs 48 lakhs per year for

4 broadnews

There are two types of PAID NEWS……..

History is the Evidence….

• Sudden mysterious death of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

• Sham Prasad Mukherjee and Dayal Upadhaya were murder postmortem reports were never made public.

• Death of Rajeev Dakshit by poison.

Earned vs. Paid Media

• First of all—what are paid and earned

media? The terms are commonly defined

as:

PAID MEDIA

• Advertisements

• paying for media coverage,

• rewarding fans or followers who

share your content , or

• distributing press releases on paid

sites,

Earned MEDIA

• When someone distributes your

content on your behalf.

• social bookmarking sites like

Facebook,Twitter,Pinterest,Tumblr

,Reddit…as well as being featured in

publications (without having to pay for

the coverage, of course).

• seem like pretty clear descriptions of

two different types of media.

• not usually that cut and dry.

• social shares, which are considered

earned media

• it’s not as easy to classify the

campaign as entirely “earned.”

Blurring the lines between paid and

earned media

• not just a PR strategy anymore.

• Now it’s a marketing strategy .

• making something go viral, of course, has its own

challenges.

• Doing such outreach, of course, costs money, once

again blurring the lines between earned and paid

media.

.

• For marketers today, there’s no firm line in

the sand where paid media ends and

earned media takes. At the end of the day,

however your media is generated, it will, in some way bear a cost to a brand

Reasons for paid news

• Autonomy of editors and journalists.

• Inadequate power.

• Inaction of government.

• No ways to distinguish paid news.

Continued…..

• Cross media ownership/ Corporatization of Media

What is it ?

Relationship b/w corporates and media houses.

No transparency in pin pointing the real owners.

In 2012 RIL gives personal loan of 1700 crores to

Raghav Bahl ‘s NETWORK 18.

PAID MEDIA UNDERMINIG DEMOCRACY

•This malpractice has become widespread.

•These illegal operations become organized advertising agencies and public relations firms.

• Marketing member uses material of journalists and executives gain access to political personalities.

• So-called "rate cards" include "rates" for publication of "news" items.

• Include "rates" for publication of "news" items.

• Sections of the media in India become participant and contribute to the growing use of money power in politics.

• Tarnished the country's reputation.

INCIDENCES OF PAID NEWS

• Mr. Ashok Chavan

• Umlesh Yadav

• Gujarat Elections

• Zee news

StatusStatus of Paid News Cases during General Election of Bihar-2010

•SI No. Name of State/UT No. of Paid News Cases1. Bihar 15

Status of Paid News Cases during Assembly General Election in 2011

SI No. Name of State/UT No. of cases, in which notices to the candidate issued

No. of confirmed cases of Paid News

1. Kerala 65 652. Puducherry 3 33. Assam 42 274. West Bengal 15 85. Tamil Nadu* 11 22

SI No. Name of State/UT No. of cases, in which notices to the candidate issued

No. of confirmed cases of Paid News

1. Uttar Pradesh 97 972. Uttarakhand 60 303. Punjab* 339 523 4. Goa* 63 95. Manipur Nil Nil6. Gujarat 495 4147. Himachal Pradesh 190 104

Status of Paid News Cases during Assembly General Election in 2012

*Certain cases are still in process. Some are getting modified.

NEWSCANABUSE !!!

EFFECTS OF PAID NEWS

EFFECTS OF PAID NEWS

ON COMMON PEOPLE

Misleads the world’s largest democracy

Loss of trust on government and media

Brings conflicts among different societies

EFFECTS OF PAID NEWS

ON INDIAN ECONOMY AND ELECTIONS

Large sum of money wasted in investments

Used to defame opposing parties

Privilege given to elite classes

MEASURES TO TACKLE THE MENACE OF “PAID NEWS”

•Efficacy of Self regulation

Good option to check paid news.

But offers partial solutions.

Offenders refuse to abide by voluntary codes of conduct.

Media takes leverage under freedom of expression.

• Role of Press Council of India (PCI)

Major recommendations made by PCI are:

Paid news as punishable electoral malpractice.

PCI should be empowered to adjudicate complaints.

Press Council Act to make recommendations binding.

PCI should be reconstituted.

• Regulation of advertisements by DAVP

Stakeholders alleged that the Government uses advertisements to arm-twist media houses for

favorable coverage.

Transparent and Unbiased Policy.

• Complaint Redressal Mechanism

Lack of systematic compliant redressal mechanism.

Ombudsman in media houses to serve first tier of redressal.

Mechanism should be simple and time bound.

• Introduction of International Media

Indian media crowded by family(individual).

Increasing competition with entry of global players.

Independent , well funded competitor.

• Strengthen the Govt owned Incumbent

BSNL, MTNL determined the price points.

Prasar Bharti (Doordarshan).

• Transparency regarding Revenue/Assets of Media Houses and Right to Information Act , 2005

Disclosure of source of income

Transparency in media

• Awareness/Education Educating masses

Creating awareness