Paid News menace needs to be checked as paid news misleads the public. Paid news is becoming a real threat to journalism standards in India. But unfortunately a cancer in the form of paid news has been diagnosed with the Indian media in the recent past. Large sections of society, including political personalities, those working in the media and others, have already expressed their unhappiness and concern about the influence of causing grave harm of such malpractices.
News is meant to be objective, fair and neutral. This is what sets apart such information and opinion from advertisements that are paid for by corporate entities, governments, organizations or individuals. In such situations, the reader or the viewer can hardly distinguish between news reports and advertisements/advertorials.
Corruption in the mass media in India and elsewhere is as old as the media itself. If there is corruption in society, it would be unrealistic to expect the media to be free of corruption. India is the world’s largest democracy and mass media is an important pillar of democracy in the country.
Paid news malpractices have destroyed the credibility of the media itself and are, therefore, detrimental to its own long-term interests. It needs to be noted in this context that so long as journalists are paid poverty wages or are expected to earn their livelihood by doubling up as advertising agents working on commissions, such malpractices would continue to be rampant.
Can anything be done at all in this regard? The answers are not easy nor are they simple or clear-cut. Despite its quasi-judicial status, the Press Council of India has limited powers as it cannot penalize the errant or those found guilty of malpractices. The Press Council Act needs to be amended to provide the Council more teeth. This step may not entirely stop such malpractices in the Indian media but could reduce their incidence to an extent.
News is meant to be objective, fair and neutral. This is what sets apart such information and opinion from advertisements that are paid for by corporate entities, governments, organizations or individuals. In such situations, the reader or the viewer can hardly distinguish between news reports and advertisements/advertorials.
Corruption in the mass media in India and elsewhere is as old as the media itself. If there is corruption in society, it would be unrealistic to expect the media to be free of corruption. India is the world’s largest democracy and mass media is an important pillar of democracy in the country.
Paid news malpractices have destroyed the credibility of the media itself and are, therefore, detrimental to its own long-term interests. It needs to be noted in this context that so long as journalists are paid poverty wages or are expected to earn their livelihood by doubling up as advertising agents working on commissions, such malpractices would continue to be rampant.
Can anything be done at all in this regard? The answers are not easy nor are they simple or clear-cut. Despite its quasi-judicial status, the Press Council of India has limited powers as it cannot penalize the errant or those found guilty of malpractices. The Press Council Act needs to be amended to provide the Council more teeth. This step may not entirely stop such malpractices in the Indian media but could reduce their incidence to an extent.
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