‘EC to keep strict vigil on paid news in print, electronic, social media during Lok Sabha polls’

Chandigarh: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab Sibin C on Thursday categorically said that the Election Commission will keep a strict vigil over the paid news in Print, Electronic, and Social Media during the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Chairing a state-level virtual meeting with the District Public Relations Officers (DPROs) here Thursday, the Chief Electoral Officer said that the Commission has issued strict instructions to monitor the advertisements, publicity of candidates, and paid news cases. He said that for this the district-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committees have been constituted with the DPROs as their nodal officers. Sibin C asserted that these committees have been mandated to keep a strict vigil over the news content in news channels, social media platforms as well as newspapers.

The Chief Electoral Officer asked all the DPROs to perform their duty diligently to check such news content and subsequently report the paid news, if any, to the concerned Returning Officers (ROs). He envisioned that the committee will keep watch on poll-related news, features, and advertisements appearing in print, electronic, and social media during the run-up of polls. Sibin C said that the committee will be responsible for certification of advertisements, monitoring of news in print, social, and electronic media along with keeping records of all election-related news of candidates in the fray.

The Chief Electoral Officer said that the constitution of these committees have a huge significance as they will help in effective monitoring and accounting of the poll-related expenditure incurred by the candidates.

He also asked the DPROs to ensure that the committee members verify the advertising contents sought to be published by political parties, the candidates, or their supporters before releasing them to the media. Sibin C reiterated the commitment of the Election Commission to ensure free, fair, and peaceful Lok Sabha polls in the state adding that any violation of the model code of conduct by political parties would also be monitored, he added.