MCMC formed to keep tab on political ads, paid news: DC

MCMC formed to keep tab on political ads, paid news: DC

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Mar 21, 2014: A Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) has been formed to keep an eye on the advertisements issued by political parties and candidates and also to monitor the social media which is used for campaigning by political parties.

 

Informing this to reporters here on March 20, Thursday, Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said the MCMC has been formed as per the direction of the Election Commissioner and has   the District Returning Officer as the Chairman. The District Information Officer is its Member Secretary while Akashvani Station Director Vasanth Kumar Perla, Journalist Raghuram Bhat and all Assistant Returning Officers are its members.

 He said all the advertisements which will be issued by the parties   to any media  would be pre-certified by the MCMC.A political party which  wants to reproduce  its certified Hindi/English advertisements in regional language should  also seek the permission of the MCMC. Even audio visual displays of advertisements need to be certified by the Committee, he said.

With regard to the Paid news, the DC said the Election Commission has proposed to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice to make paid news a punishable offence and has recommended minimum two years of imprisonment and  the same is pending approval.  He said even the cases of paid news will be monitored by the Committee and the candidate will be served a notice requiring him or her to reply within 48 hours. In case of non-adherence of rules, then  the Committee will take a final decision. The candidate can appeal against this with the State MCMC within 48 hours and then with the EC  within 48 hours.

Paid news will be reported to the EC on weekly basis followed by a final detailed report  and a report on all the confirmed cases of paid news will be submitted soon after the completion of elections.

These reports will be considered and the names will be sent to the Press Council of India and News Broadcasters Association (NBA), for  further action, Ibrahim said.

The Deputy Commissioner also informed that the MCMC in the district has received two complaints on paid news so far.