Journalist teachers set to monitor paid news

 17th October 2013    PR News 

It has been announced that five teachers from Kushabhau Thakre University of Journalism in Raipur have been appointed to keep a watch on ‘paid news’ during the Assembly elections in Chattisgarh.

As previously reported, the Election Commission of India have planned a major crackdown on paid news in the media during elections. To ensure regulations are enforced they have now enlisted the help of five journalism teachers – Rajendra Mohanti, Pankaj Nayan Pandey, Nripendra Sharma, Shahid Ali and Ashutosh Mandavi.

Assistant professor Rajendra Mohanti, has explained that the committee will monitor political advertisement on television channels and websites and political analyses in newspapers and flag instances of “paid news” in the electronic and print media.

If anything is found violating the rules then the committee will report the issue to the Chief Electoral Officer.

All reports related to the campaign will be monitored and parties have also been asked to state their advertisement policies for the polls in advance.

This committee was set up after the Election Commission received a large number of complaints regarding suspicious favourable content during the last elections in Chattisgarh.