Certification must for political ads, paid news & advertisement under scanner

Hyderabad: In the wake of the continuing trend of political parties, candidates, and their supporters using social media and advertisements in a big way, a District Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) headed by District Election Officer (DEO) has been constituted who will be keeping a close watch on social media, paid news, advertisements and other such campaigns.

The Hyderabad DEO Ronald Rose has issued detailed guidelines for political advertisements on such platforms that include obtaining certification for contents before putting them in the public domain from MCMC. It is mandatory for political parties and individual candidates to keep details of expenditure incurred on advertisements in social media and the expenses will be accounted for in the total election expenditure incurred by the candidates.

The officer has clarified that political parties or candidates must obtain prior certification from the MCMC, which is mandatory, to issue political advertisements in print and electronic media. “For advertisements, print, electronic, social media, audio & video display, a permission should be taken for such campaigns,” said Ronald Rose. Adding he said the MCMC will be set up in the CPRO section at Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation headquarters.

According to the DEO, the committee shall give certification of advertisements, issue of paid news, monitoring of political advertisements in electronic and other media in relation to candidates. “Either overt or covert from expenditure monitoring angle, advertisement of print media and checking the name and address of the publisher and the printer is carried on any election pamphlet, poster, handbill and other documents as required under RP Act,” informed Ronald Rose.

Moreover, to curb attacks on religions and castes, abusive language, inappropriate remarks, incitement to violence, against court orders, against the justice system, against the sovereignty and unity of the country in accordance with the rules of conduct of elections, the committee shall strictly follow the guidelines during the election period.

Special surveillance on paid news

The MCMC will identify paid news in any newspaper, electronic media channel, and payment of money for social media analysis. The Election Commission has found that paid news has been at an alarming rate in recent times in relation to personal campaigns by various parties and candidates to influence voters through the media.

The Election Commission has set up a special paid news control system to curb this paid news that influences the voters at the field level. As part of this, the District MCMC will identify the paid news and issue notices to the concerned candidate through the Ros.

According to the rate card provided by the Information Department, notices will be issued by the RO to calculate the cost incurred and deposit it in the election expenses of the candidates. A copy of this notice will also be given to the Election Expenditure Scrutineers.

DEO Ronald Rose informed that they are recording the news coming in various news channels. All the major channels have clarified that they have taken up the recording of the campaigns conducted by the candidates and parties for all the constituencies in Hyderabad district.

He said that the expenses related to paid news and advertisements will be included in the election expenses of the candidates from the time the nominations are filed by the candidates contesting the elections.