Comments on: Of Indian Media and Elections http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/ Dedicated to "Bharat" and "Dharma" Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:24:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: B Shantanu http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-246381 B Shantanu Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:55:51 +0000 http://satyameva-jayate.org/?p=2872#comment-246381 Truly historic decision: <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2556366.ece" rel="nofollow">‘Paid news' claims first political scalp as EC disqualifies MLA</a>. And note that this is as much about excessive election expenditure as it is about "paid news". Hope that the EC shows the same determination in the cases of former CMs of Maharashtra and Jharkhand that are due to be heard over the next few days Truly historic decision: ‘Paid news’ claims first political scalp as EC disqualifies MLA.
And note that this is as much about excessive election expenditure as it is about “paid news”.
Hope that the EC shows the same determination in the cases of former CMs of Maharashtra and Jharkhand that are due to be heard over the next few days

]]> By: B Shantanu http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-240192 B Shantanu Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:27:00 +0000 http://satyameva-jayate.org/?p=2872#comment-240192 Here is the link to the full "Paid News" report, which was initially suppressed by the Press Council of India: http://presscouncil.nic.in/Sub-CommitteeReport.pdf Names specific media houses. Makes for depressing reading. Here is the link to the full “Paid News” report, which was initially suppressed by the Press Council of India: http://presscouncil.nic.in/Sub-CommitteeReport.pdf
Names specific media houses. Makes for depressing reading.

]]> By: B Shantanu http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-239470 B Shantanu Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:57:04 +0000 http://satyameva-jayate.org/?p=2872#comment-239470 Adding this here for the record. Excerpts from <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/article2523649.ece" rel="nofollow">And the pay-to-print saga resumes</a> by P Sainath: <i>...The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had challenged the power of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to go into the truth or falsity of his 2009 poll expenses. Those proceedings in the ECI had gained infamy as the ‘paid news' case. A case which embarrassed major newspapers that had run scores of hagiographic full pages of ‘ news' on Mr. Chavan during his poll campaign. Pages without a single advertisement on them (<a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article56964.ece" rel="nofollow">The Hindu, November 30, 2009</a>). And without so much as a mention of his rival in Bhokar constituency in Nanded. ... It's a double whammy. Not long before this judgment, the Central Information Commission (CIC) had ordered the Press Council of India (PCI) to unwrap its own ticking parcel. That is: the PCI's ‘paid news' report which it had suppressed under pressure from media bosses. ... Now the CIC, acting on Mr. Moudgil's complaint, has told the Press Council to put the full report up on its website by October 10. Together, these two developments promise many blushes for Big Media. ... Mr. Chavan's accounts are a delight. A kind of Gandhian manual on poll austerity. Read them and you know that Bhokar, Nanded is where you want to settle post-retirement. Things are so cheap. Mr. Chavan wrapped up his newspaper advertising within a frugal Rs.5,379. His entire poll campaign cost less than Rs.7 lakh. (The limit for an assembly constituency in Maharashtra that year was Rs.10 lakh). This included two public meetings where he brought down Bollywood megastar Salman Khan as the main attraction, drawing thousands of people. The first meeting cost a piffling Rs.4,440 and the second even less, only Rs.4,300. In both cases the main cost, more than a third of the total, was on the public address system. (But even Steve Jobs could not have got the audio done in Rs.1,500). The pandal top cost just Rs.200, hired sofas cost the same and Mr. Chavan spent no more than Rs.1,000 on setting up the stage. (See: The Hindu, November 10, 2010). ... Four dailies, asked by the ECI whether what had appeared on Mr. Chavan was news or paid-for, scorned all notions of paid news. ..Their letters to the ECI are clear and edifying. ..Two Marathi papers pleaded proximity to the Congress. As the daily Pudhari argued in a five-page letter: “….every newspaper has its inclination towards a political party and Pudhari is no exception to that.” ..Lokmat candidly shared its aim in bringing out so many pages on Mr. Chavan. This was “to acquaint the people of Maharashtra about the achievements and developments of the Congress-led government in Maharashtra during its tenure under the present Chief Minister.” (Who had held that post for all of 11 months at the time). “The other factor that motivated us…is the alignment of our group's ideology with that of the Congress Party.” ...The Times Group (for Maharashtra Times) also trashed any notion of ‘paid news.' We are “a balanced and responsible corporate,” their letter asserted...</i> Adding this here for the record. Excerpts from And the pay-to-print saga resumes by P Sainath:
…The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had challenged the power of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to go into the truth or falsity of his 2009 poll expenses. Those proceedings in the ECI had gained infamy as the ‘paid news’ case. A case which embarrassed major newspapers that had run scores of hagiographic full pages of ‘ news’ on Mr. Chavan during his poll campaign. Pages without a single advertisement on them (The Hindu, November 30, 2009). And without so much as a mention of his rival in Bhokar constituency in Nanded.

…
It’s a double whammy. Not long before this judgment, the Central Information Commission (CIC) had ordered the Press Council of India (PCI) to unwrap its own ticking parcel. That is: the PCI’s ‘paid news’ report which it had suppressed under pressure from media bosses. …
Now the CIC, acting on Mr. Moudgil’s complaint, has told the Press Council to put the full report up on its website by October 10.

Together, these two developments promise many blushes for Big Media.
…
Mr. Chavan’s accounts are a delight. A kind of Gandhian manual on poll austerity. Read them and you know that Bhokar, Nanded is where you want to settle post-retirement. Things are so cheap. Mr. Chavan wrapped up his newspaper advertising within a frugal Rs.5,379. His entire poll campaign cost less than Rs.7 lakh. (The limit for an assembly constituency in Maharashtra that year was Rs.10 lakh). This included two public meetings where he brought down Bollywood megastar Salman Khan as the main attraction, drawing thousands of people. The first meeting cost a piffling Rs.4,440 and the second even less, only Rs.4,300. In both cases the main cost, more than a third of the total, was on the public address system. (But even Steve Jobs could not have got the audio done in Rs.1,500). The pandal top cost just Rs.200, hired sofas cost the same and Mr. Chavan spent no more than Rs.1,000 on setting up the stage. (See: The Hindu, November 10, 2010).
…
Four dailies, asked by the ECI whether what had appeared on Mr. Chavan was news or paid-for, scorned all notions of paid news.
..Their letters to the ECI are clear and edifying.
..Two Marathi papers pleaded proximity to the Congress. As the daily Pudhari argued in a five-page letter: “….every newspaper has its inclination towards a political party and Pudhari is no exception to that.”
..Lokmat candidly shared its aim in bringing out so many pages on Mr. Chavan. This was “to acquaint the people of Maharashtra about the achievements and developments of the Congress-led government in Maharashtra during its tenure under the present Chief Minister.” (Who had held that post for all of 11 months at the time). “The other factor that motivated us…is the alignment of our group’s ideology with that of the Congress Party.”
…The Times Group (for Maharashtra Times) also trashed any notion of ‘paid news.’ We are “a balanced and responsible corporate,” their letter asserted…

]]> By: Malavika http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-110141 Malavika Sun, 10 Oct 2010 14:41:18 +0000 http://satyameva-jayate.org/?p=2872#comment-110141 Interesting article. I have noticed that the old lady of Bori Bander has become P*r? lady of Bor Bander. "I stumbled into a discussion on obscenity in Indian media. Reading divergent positions on the issue, I found that the harshest barbs by some participants were directed at the Times of India for practising what they called soft-porn journalism." http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/10/times-india-sex Interesting article. I have noticed that the old lady of Bori Bander has become P*r? lady of Bor Bander.

“I stumbled into a discussion on obscenity in Indian media. Reading divergent positions on the issue, I found that the harshest barbs by some participants were directed at the Times of India for practising what they called soft-porn journalism.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/10/times-india-sex

]]> By: B Shantanu http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/05/10/of-indian-media-and-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-64952 B Shantanu Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:03:07 +0000 http://satyameva-jayate.org/?p=2872#comment-64952 Another depressing article: <a href="http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/print/1875-election-candidates-money-offered-for-local-coverage" rel="nofollow"> 'Cash for coverage' comes to BBMP elections too</a>: Corporator-aspirants are leaving no stone unturned, as they openly offer money to the media to be written about. Paid news goes local. Vaishnavi Vittal , 24 Mar 2010 Another depressing article: ‘Cash for coverage’ comes to BBMP elections too:

Corporator-aspirants are leaving no stone unturned, as they openly offer money to the media to be written about. Paid news goes local.

Vaishnavi Vittal , 24 Mar 2010

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