Paid news in India: Difference between revisions
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'''Paid News''' is a scandalous phenomenon in [[Indian media]], in which mainstream media (with a few exceptions) was found to be systematically engaged in publishing favourable articles in exchange for payment.<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263242 "News You can Abuse"] Outlook, December 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/04/india-paid-news-scandal India : 'Paid news' scandal hits major newspapers] The Guardian, UK, 4 January 2010.</ref> |
'''Paid News''' is a scandalous phenomenon in [[Indian media]], in which mainstream media (with a few exceptions) was found to be systematically engaged in publishing favourable articles in exchange for payment.<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?263242 "News You can Abuse"] Outlook, December 2009</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jan/04/india-paid-news-scandal India : 'Paid news' scandal hits major newspapers] The Guardian, UK, 4 January 2010.</ref> |
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Out of this Deepak Chaurasia, host of India News is seen as one of the most corrupt and promoters of paid news in India. <ref>http://www.firstpost.com/politics/defending-kejriwal-aap-claims-3-news-channels-are-paid-media-1434437.html</ref> |
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Bloomberg claimed that ''Paid News'' was rotting India's democracy.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-25/-paid-news-is-rotting-india-s-democracy-choudhury.html 'Paid News' Is Rotting India's Democracy] Bloomberg, 25 October 2011.</ref> The ''Analytical Monthly Review'' links India's media problems to well known problems of the political economy after adoption of neo-liberal policies.<ref name="AMR">[http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2013/amr160813.html "The Reality of Media in India "] Analytical Monthly Review, Aug 2013</ref> |
Bloomberg claimed that ''Paid News'' was rotting India's democracy.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-25/-paid-news-is-rotting-india-s-democracy-choudhury.html 'Paid News' Is Rotting India's Democracy] Bloomberg, 25 October 2011.</ref> The ''Analytical Monthly Review'' links India's media problems to well known problems of the political economy after adoption of neo-liberal policies.<ref name="AMR">[http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2013/amr160813.html "The Reality of Media in India "] Analytical Monthly Review, Aug 2013</ref> |
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Revision as of 21:17, 31 August 2014
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 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (February 2014) |
Paid News is a scandalous phenomenon in Indian media, in which mainstream media (with a few exceptions) was found to be systematically engaged in publishing favourable articles in exchange for payment.[1][2]
Out of this Deepak Chaurasia, host of India News is seen as one of the most corrupt and promoters of paid news in India. [3]
Bloomberg claimed that Paid News was rotting India's democracy.[4] The Analytical Monthly Review links India's media problems to well known problems of the political economy after adoption of neo-liberal policies.[5]
The Press Council of India tried to bury its own investigative report on the phenomenon of Paid News.[6]
A comprehensive report by journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Sanjeev Reddy exposing corrupt media practices occurring during the elections of 2009, is available online - Paid News in Indian Media.
Sponsors of Paid News
Sponsors of paid news are typically politicians and businessmen, although celebrities can also play key roles in these scandals. Such sponsors would like to advance their interests and achieve their goals, for example politicians want to promote their ideals.
Politicians Sponsoring Paid News
The Election Commission of India has detected hundreds of cases where politicians paid money to newspapers or TV channels to carry glowing reports on them.[7]
- Ashok Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. His use of funds for Paid News was questioned by the Election Commission of India in 2010. "The complaint against Mr. Chavan was that he arranged publication of news items, masquerading as advertisements, in newspapers praising him in the 2009 State Assembly elections and he had not properly accounted for the expenses in his election expenditure accounts. But he claimed that the newspapers on their own might have published complimentary stories on him." [8]
- Narottam Mishra, a Cabinet Minister of Madhya Pradesh who, according to the Election Commission of India, “failed to lodge his accounts of his election expenses in the manner prescribed by law” and was linked to 42 news items on him during the November 2008 state elections which “read more like election advertisements in favor of you alone rather than as news reports.”[9]
- In October 2011, Umlesh Yadav became the first ever sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to be disqualified for not declaring the expenditure incurred on advertising during her election campaign. Yadav a member of Rashtriya Parivartan Dal had been elected from Bisauli, Uttar Pradesh, in 2007. She was banned from contesting election for a period of three years by the Election Commission of India.[10]
The two above are just well known examples. The Election Commission is reported to have identified more than 1,400 cases of paid news within a recent 4 year period during which Assembly polls were held in 17 states of India.[11][12]
April-2013 Loksabha Election
An Election Commission panel has held four Lok Sabha election candidates in Maharashtra guilty of resorting to paid news. Complaints against Congress candidates — Union minister of state for shipping and IT Milind Deora (Mumbai South), Sanjay Nirupam (Mumbai North), Vishwajit Kadam (Pune) — and BJP candidate from Pune Deepak Shirole have been found true, sources in the State Election Office said.
Businesses and Celebrities Sponsoring Paid News and 'Private Treaties'
Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd, which owns the Times of India is reported to have asked celebrities and rich people to pay for favorable coverage. They have offered a "private treaty" agreement which accepts an equity stake in a company in return for favorable coverage.[7] The New York Times described "Private Treaties" as an example of the commodification of business news.[13] A New Yorker article says that the Times of India "have been dismantling the wall between the newsroom and the sales department" with Times MediaNet.[14]
Similar practices by other media companies came to light as a steel company sued Television news company Zee News for allegedly demanding advertisements so as not to telecast shows in relation to the Indian coal allocation scam.[15]
An older report by media critic The Hoot identified how "Private Treaties" influence reporting.[16] However, the CEO designate of Times Private Treaties, in an interview with MediaNama justified the practices as "there are two currencies for advertising – cash and treaties".[17]
The Hoot's report named several companies besides Sobha Developers and Pyramid Saimira (now defunct) that participated in Times Private Treaties: Birla Power Solutions Ltd, Deccan Aviation, Pantaloon, Provogue, Spice Mobiles Limited, Videocon Industries Ltd, Deccan Aviation, India Infoline, The Home Store, Amity Education, Paramount Airways, Future Group, Sahara One, Percept Pictures etc.[16]
See also
References
- ^ "News You can Abuse" Outlook, December 2009
- ^ India : 'Paid news' scandal hits major newspapers The Guardian, UK, 4 January 2010.
- ^ http://www.firstpost.com/politics/defending-kejriwal-aap-claims-3-news-channels-are-paid-media-1434437.html
- ^ 'Paid News' Is Rotting India's Democracy Bloomberg, 25 October 2011.
- ^ "The Reality of Media in India " Analytical Monthly Review, Aug 2013
- ^ India Media Buries Paid News Report India Real Time - WSJ, 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b Media collusion with politicians, business weakens Indian democracy South China Morning Post, 3 July 2013
- ^ Maharashtra CM Chavan Challenges EC on Paid News The Hindu, 21 July 2010
- ^ 'Yes, we spent money on paid news ads' The Hindu, 30 January 2013
- ^ "Why paid news is a threat to Indian democracy". 5 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "EC detected over 1,400 paid news cases during Assembly polls", Lens On News, September 2013
- ^ "Congress goes buying reporters in Chhattisgarh, offers ours Rs 25,000". Indian Express. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "In India, Sometimes News Is Just a Product Placement", Akash Kapur, 7 May 2010, The New York Times
- ^ "Citizens Jain: Why India’s newspaper industry is thriving", Ken Auletta October 8, 2012, The New Yorker
- ^ Steel company says it is suing the Subhash Chandra-owned network for Rs 200 crore, LiveMint.com
- ^ a b "How private treaties influence reporting" Clifton D'Rozario, The Hoot, 17 June 2008
- ^ “There Are Two Currencies For Advertising – Cash And Treaties; We’re Not Buying To Sell” Sivakumar, CEO Designate of Times Private Treaties, in an interview with MediaNama. June 2008
