Proposals to consider the formation of an alternative platform to challenge the menace of paid news were mooted at a seminar organised by the Press Council of India (PCI) today.
Given the constitution of PCI, some panelists said, it would not be fair on PCI’s part to demand mandatory rights to impose its judgement on publishers. The only way forward would be to get people who feel strongly about the issue to come together and form an alternative platform to counter the problem.
Underlining PCI to be a toothless regulator, eminent columnist Seema Mustafa, said: “News has become a product which is sold today. The era of the editor is over. What sells is sensationalism and that has become the mandate of the day.” No purposeful measures have been taken to preserve the integrity of news conveyed.
Paid news has become an all-pervasive phenomenon with media personnel across the board availing collateral benefits. It would not be right to berate any particular organisation in the present context. But it would make sense for people of a similar mindset to come together and confront the issue, participants felt.
Justice G N Ray, chairman, PCI, said corporatisation of media has come with problems which have to be looked into. With the media net and private treaties posing a threat to integrity of news content published, a two-member sub-committee mandated by PCI had framed a report on the basis of which the council had forwarded a set of recommendations.
The recommendations were, however, not adopted by the 12-member board formed subsequently.
PCI, Ray added, has to be given more powers, so that organisations guilty of publishing paid news can be charged. Based on the judgements made by PCI, DAVP should abstain from giving advertisements to the said companies for a stipulated period of time.
