MxMIndia

Tag: paid news

  • The Press Council has laid down guidelines and has recommended that the media should be strict when dealing with paid news.

    Goa journo’s sting to expose paid news. No wrongdoing, says Herald editor

    By A Correspondent

    The phenomenon of paid content masquerading as news has been around for a long time. But the issue of ‘political paid news’ came under spotlight especially during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

    On Tuesday, Mr Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, a journalist based in Goa, filed a complaint with the Press Council of India alleging that Herald, a leading newspaper in Goa, has been publishing “dubious ‘political’ interviews of aspiring candidates, ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled for early 2012”.

    With such instances being brought to light, a report compiled by the Press Council of India appointed sub-committee comprising Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Kalimekolam Sreenivas Reddy “to examine the phenomenon of paid news in the Lok Sabha elections” gains more prominence.

    (The full report can be found at http://presscouncil.nic.in/reportPaidNews.htm.)

    The report states that in the area of political paid news, it is not easy to find evidence that pins responsibility for such corrupt practices on particular persons and organizations due to its illegal and clandestine nature.

    But Mr Nagvenkar has backed his claim with records of four telephonic conversations with Herald’s marketing manager Mr Tulsidas Desai, three of which were recorded on October 20 and one on October 22. The conversations, he says, indicate that the newspaper regularly indulges in such paid political news. He also alleges that the marketing manager of the paper could not have pushed a deal like this without the consent, “tacit or otherwise”, of the editorial leadership.

    The report also makes a note of Election Commission’s concern about the latest complaint  that some of the newspapers even offer packages at hefty sums, offering specific services such as projecting the image of a political party or a candidate in a positive manner or giving negative publicity to the rival party or candidate. The rates of such packages vary, depending upon the standing and circulation of the newspaper in the area covered by the constituency.

    Mr Nagvenkar gave credence to the Election Commission’s concerns recently when, posing as Bernard Costa, a fictitious person seeking to contest elections from the Velim assembly constituency in South Goa, contacted Mr Desai and asked about getting a political campaign interview published as news content.

    “Desai told me, (Bernard Costa), that I could get a political campaign interview (15 inches by eight news columns, to be exact) in the newspaper for Rs 86,400, and for an additional Rs 50,000, I could be interviewed on the Herald Cable Network (HCN), the local cable news channel operated by the same media group. None of the paid content will carry an ‘advertorial’ tag.”

    Mr Desai further explained to Mr Nagvenkar about the interview of a potential electoral candidate, Mr Raymond D’Sa, which was published in the Herald on October 20 and which had cost Mr D’Sa Rs 2 lakh.

    Asked about the repercussions he might face after publishing such an article, Mr Nagvenkar replied that he is no stranger to the media banning him. But he hopes that the Press Council will issue strictures against the newspaper as “it’s an open and shut case and the evidence is irrefutable.”

    (The full text of Mr Nagvenkar’s story can be found at www.paidnewsingoa.blogspot.com.)

    When asked to reply to Mr Nagvenkar’s allegations, Mr Sujay Gupta, Editor, Herald said: “I wish to emphatically deny that any editorial content which has appeared in the Herald, without the “advertorial” tag line has been paid for.”

    To Mr Nagvenkar’s claims of the editorial being in the know, Mr Gupta replied: “Editorial was not in the know of any such negotiations or discussions the marketing had with any candidate or anyone else. The stray remark that “editor people” would be in the know… is also incorrect”.

  • Mr Sujay Gupta meets the allegations head-on, saying his newspaper is clean and will remain so.

    Herald editor refutes ‘paid news’ charge

    This is with reference to the complaint to the Press Council of India, by our esteemed and senior colleague in the profession for many years, Mayabhushan Nagvekar.

    Since the matter concerns issues of editorial and journalistic propriety even though the conversations and interactions Mayabhushan, posing as one Bernard, has with our marketing Manager Tulsidas Desai, I have chosen to respond to this.

    Firstly, I wish to emphatically deny that any editorial content which has appeared in the Herald, without the “advertorial” tag line has been paid for. In his complaint, the complainant has attached newspaper clippings of several interviews we have conducted as part of our kins and kinship series of prospective new candidates in the fray.

    The only exception was that of Somnath Zuwarkar, whose interview we carried after his return to politics. To even suggest that these interviews were part of a paid news package is hugely defamatory. Herald will respond to these allegations urgently and appropriately in a proper forum.

    I wish to emphasize that I have been informed by my management that Desai’s remarks, (as heard on the audio) file in relation to any assurances given to “Bernard” for disguised editorial favours is absolutely incorrect.

    As Editor, my stated position both within and outside the organisation has been that paid content cannot be disguised as news. Whenever politicians have sent out messages, statements of their achievements and other such information, through a paid route, we have prominently stated that they are advertorials. A case in point is the birthday of Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho where there were more than 2 pages of “news” items about Mauvin’s career and achievements.

    Recently there was a four page advertorial supplement Vision 2015 where the Chief Minister’s interview was carried along with information on other departments. However, Herald has not softened its attack on this government on several issues, making a clear distinction between advertisements/advertorials and editorial.

    Herald is the only newspaper which used the tag “advertorial” on top of their news pages so that the difference between editorial and advertorial is clearly established.

    Coming to the proposed interview of the fictitious “Bernard” in HCN, our marketing team confirms that that such interviews are conducted with clear supers entitled “SPONSORED, indicating that its an advertorial.

    The letter/email sent by Tulsidas Desai to the fictitious Bernard also clearly states that the rates were for advertising /advertorial rates. The marketing department is within its purview of seeking advertisements and advertorials with a clear understanding that they would be treated like any paid advertisement.

    Lastly and most significantly, Editorial was not in the know of any such negotiations or discussions the marketing had with any candidate or anyone else. The stray remark that “editos people” would be in the know of any interview to HCN is also incorrect.

    I am also clear that ultimately issues of newspaper ethics need to be addressed by the Editor directly since he is the custodian of content. At no given point of time have I allowed disguised and paid news to slip through as genuine editorial content.

    However, it is imperative to ask if the media in Goa has done a serious introspection on whether we try hard enough to eliminate the ghost of paid news slipping through as genuine news.

    In the present case, too, it is naive to expect that the said Bernard’s interview would have been carried in any form. The final decision to run a story or not rests with me and my senior editorial colleagues so a clear distinction needs to be made between news and advertorials. The two cannot and don’t mix in The Herald.

    If the complainant had indeed wanted to test Heralds mettle and transparency in these matters he should have tried paying the amount and getting his interview published as news and then taken us to task.

    However, I agree that with elections around the corner, we need to be more vigilant and watchful to ensure that the media continues to function as a neutral and independent watcher and not an interested part.

     

    Sujay Gupta, Editor, Herald

  • Founder of Chauthi Duniya Santosh Bhartiya on greedy media owners and corruption in journalism.

    Choice between lion and jackal: Santosh Bhartiya

    Founder of Chauthi Duniya Mr Santosh Bhartiya is known for unabashed journalism, andhis radical approach to television, especially election coverage. He speaks to Akash Raha about politics, journalism and how the greed of media owners has led to the institutionalization of corruption.

     

    Q: From being a Member of Parliament to being an eminent journalist, you have been on both sides of the picture. How does it feel now to write scathing commentaries on politics in India?

    In politics, I have realized, no one can do anything positive in India. There is a lack of inspiration to do anything positive. Moreover, we have a “babu system” here in India, where the MP hardly even knows anything about the bill that is been drafted. I am back in journalism because I realized that most of the famous leaders we know today are nothing but middle-men. I think a journalist should stay in the field of journalism and write against corruption and the malpractices that we see in politics these days.

     

    Q: Internet TV sounds like a very interesting concept. How is it doing and do you have plans for a full-fledged television channel soon?

    Our internet TV has been very successful. The concept is one of a kind and the political subjects that we tackle are doing phenomenally well. Here, we have both live and recorded shows. If ratings are anything to go by, we will give quite a few news channels in India a run for their money. Definitely in the near future we will come out with our own television channel. The pressure from our internet TV viewers to start a 24-hour television channel is immense, as the comments on the site show. We are strictly against PR journalism and this is what our audiences like about us. However, the plan for a TV news channel is still at a budding stage.

     

    Q: Why haven’t you tried to monetize your online space?

    We are not here to do business, we are here only to earn credibility. We feel that when you have the treasure of credibility, money will come when the time is right. Our promoters are happy this way, and they fully support us in this thought process.

     

    Q: What do you think of the phenomenon of paid news in the media and how do you think it should be dealt with?

    In the current scheme of things and in our society, corruption is a way of life. And the people sitting in the highest echelons of power are responsible for making it so. When the topmost leaders of our country are corrupt and are sitting at Tihar jail today, what will the rest of the country do but follow suit? Journalism too is no stranger to corruption… Earlier, corruption in journalism used to be small, and there was only a minor case here and there of a journalist taking favours to write a particular story. But now TV owners and newspaper owners are committing corruption at a massive level and are charging huge commissions. I know at least one organization whose owner called a meeting in Delhi and spoke to his employees about ways of making money and to increase profits, obviously through malpractices. The greed of media owners has led to institutionalization of corruption. But like in the case of Anna Hazare, someday the public will stand against media too. Only then will “paid news” stop. Paid news can’t be stopped by seminars and discussion. Public opinion is building against media and it is time they do something about it. Journalism is at the lowest that I have ever seen in India… The concept of investigative journalism, which the 1980s were famous for, is over. This is the age of PR journalism.

     

    Q: People often say that there is sensationalism in language media. What do you feel?

    There is a difference between English and language publications here which one must understand. English journalism, by virtue of being the language of urban elites, caters to them. Language journalism, since it caters to even the poorest of poor, talks about grass-roots-level issues. What might appear sensational to the urban elite is not sensational in reality, but a part of the rural lifestyle. Rarely have I seen such stories on grass-roots issues in English media since the time of Ashwani Sareen when he did the story on Kamla. But such stories appear regularly in language publications.

     

    Q: Do you think in this age, where business and economics in media houses are of prime importance, content is still the king?

    Content is and always will remain the king, just as a lion will always be the king of the jungle. The question is whether you want to become the lion or you’re happy being a jackal. There is always a choice… Either you can earn money or earn satisfaction by hard work, doing stories that can’t be contradicted or challenged. Unfortunately today journalists only want to earn money and their stories lack veracity.

     

    Q: Can you talk about an instance of activism through journalism that Chauthi Duniya has achieved?

    One of the bright examples of this is our show Do Took (in Hindi) which is broadcasted on all Hindi language channels of ETV. We specially make this show for ETV and its idea is unique. There are many shows where there is an interview and the interviewer, but in this show, there is no interviewer and I directly address the audiences. We pick up intriguing and interesting political topics and do a complete show on this. The videos are available on our internet TV site too. There are several other examples of such journalism. I take pride in saying that Chauthi Duniya is known for its credibility and fearlessness in journalism. We aspire to recreate the golden era of journalism in India during the ’80s of which people like SP Singh, MJ Akbar and Pritish Nandy were a part.

     

    Q: How are your various publications doing? Are there any new publications on the cards?

    We are planning to launch an English weekly magazine soon. It might still take a couple of months before the magazine hits the stand. It will be a hard hitting political magazine with excellent content. We are on our way to building a strong team, after which we’ll launch. Like all other publications and offerings from our group, the English magazine too will become a personification of excellence in journalism. Apart from that, we are at the initial stages of planning for a full-fledged TV channel. Our Urdu weekly publication which was released approximately six months ago is doing well, too. The newspaper is available internationally as well, in countries like Canada, England and the Gulf. The total circulation of the weekly newspaper (both nationally and internationally) is about 45,000 copies. The website hits too are phenomenal.

  • When one can’t tell ads from news any more, it’s time to change, say voices from across the industry

    Paid news: Who will bell the cat?

    By Akash Raha

    While it is generally agreed that paid news is a menace, newspaper editors across India are averse to the idea of a government regulatory body to check it. It could turn out to be a Big Brother and usurp the freedom that the media enjoys today. Yet, it is also acknowledged that something does need to be done to stop the iniquity of paid news, which affects the whole industry.

    Some critics suggest that a government-funded body be found which can be a regulator, yet remain independent of government intervention. Such a body will also be independent of media and corporate interests. The regulator thus formed will not only keep the print media, but also the electronic media under check from paid news. Some editors have suggested that the Press Council of India could be the regulator and given more teeth to take punitive action. As the debate seethes, MxM India reflects some voices and concerns from the industry.

    Paranjoy Guha Thakurta

    I think that organizations which indulge in such malpractices are undoing their own cause. Putting up ads in the name of news is not going to help them in the long run. Hence, it is in the self-interest of the media to act in a more responsible manner and discontinue such unethical practices. Moreover, now it is up to the Election Commissioner or India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and a group of ministers, a process that has already been initiated, to decide whether the government will make the law bring the corrupt practice of paid news under the conduct of election rules. What the group of ministers will eventually decide I cannot guess, but I think such a step should be taken.

    Some government intervention and interference is perhaps required if media can’t keep its own actions under check. Self-regulation is good, but only when everyone behaves like nice guys and we won’t have a problem. It is because self-regulation is failing, that’s why you need an independent regulator. I think the regulator should be independent of media and other corporate interests. Likewise, it could be funded by the government, yet not directly under the government.

    Moreover, whatever regulatory authority is set up, it should be empowered. Right now, we have the Press Council of India (PCI) which is a quasi-judicial authority, but unfortunately, it has no punitive powers. It can’t punish a journalist or newspaper management indulging in corrupt practice. Even if the PCI says that a particular newspaper should be denied government advertisements, which are released by Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP)… Even that the PCI does not have the power to ensure that it is implemented. Government bodies are not obliged to implement the recommendations of the PCI. So basically we currently have a PCI which is toothless body without punitive power. On top of that the electronic media does not come under the purview of the PCI.

    Jayant Mammen Mathew, Deputy Editor, Malayala Manorama

    “I am not sure how paid news came in to being… However, I think the reader will see through those carrying paid news and this will ultimately end in erosion of trust the reader has with the newspaper. The Malayala Manorama group’s editorial policy is very clear about paid news. We have a zero tolerance policy and we are completely against paid news.”

    Shashi Shekhar, Editor, Hindustan

    I am strongly opposed to the idea of government interference in any form. It is true that paid news has to be checked, yet government interference is going to mess with the workings of the media industry. Debates are on in the industry if self-regulation is the best and the media industry as a whole should decide what is best for it. I can’t speak for other media houses, but as far as we are concerned, we have given a signed affidavit to the Editors Guild to stay away from paid news.

    Kulbir Chikara, Group Editor, Hari Bhoomi

    The problem of paid news cannot be solved by government intervention and there can be no law to differentiate between paid and un-paid news. Moreover, paid news can be camouflaged to suit purpose. For example, liquor owners were banned from advertising their product, but they have camouflaged their way out of it. Those who want to indulge in such malpractices will always find a way around it… There is a massive difference in promotional feature stories and paid news in political context. I think the second is more harmful as the future of India depends on it. It is indeed a problem when the readers are unsure whether it is the neutral media speaking or a political party. Such practices are bad and unethical. I think the efforts of PCI and government will be of no use till news broadcasters and publishers themselves understand that such practice hits credibility and thereafter the whole business. Regulation or law of any kind, according to me, will be ineffective.

    Ranvijay Singh, Group Editor, Rashtriya Sahara

    I strongly believe in the ethics of journalism and hence, evils such as paid news should be done away with. Having said that I am totally opposed to any sort of government role in this matter. I think that there is still a substantial part of media who are driven by ethics and they will decide the course of what should be done to curb paid news. I think PCI should come up as a strong body. PCI should be able to impeach a journalist or media house if there is evidence against them.

    Shyam Parekh, Resident Editor, DNA Ahmedabad

    I feel the newspaper industry survives on credibility. If newspapers lose credibility, there is no business. I am talking not only talking in terms of being a journalist but also in terms of the business. Newspaper is the first thing a consumer spends his money on to begin a day, and he would certainly not like to read bogus news. Eventually, the audience will see through the network of paid news and will stop spending time on something which is not in his interest, but in someone else’s interest.

    Sachin Kalbag, Editor, Mid-Day

    My opinion on paid news is very simple: It’s an abhorrent practice. It demeans journalism. I don’t really know when this crept in, but it has plagued the media for decades. Unscrupulous journalists have been on the take for several years, and this is not a new phenomenon. The widely cited example of institutional selling of content space is Bombay Times which introduced a rate card for coverage in the supplement. Recently, the supplement began putting a disclaimer under its masthead. The phenomenon of institutional selling of content space crept into the media for various reasons – but the root cause was always to increase revenue.

    Our editorial policy is very clear: any “Advertorial” is placed in a two-page section called Centre Stage, which is part of the Classifieds section of the newspaper. Centre Stage in Mid-Day is differentiated in various ways from the editorial part of the newspaper. Here’s how: 1) The Centre Stage carries a prominent disclaimer in a large point size under the masthead “People, Parties, Promotions”. This has been happening since the day Mid-Day started Centre Stage, which was more than two years ago. In Centre Stage, we carry items on movie releases and profiles of actors, fashion designers, parties, etc, that happened in Mumbai that week, apart from product launches.

    Close to 85 percent of the Centre Stage advertorial section is non-paid, that is to say the Centre Stage team of writers (this team is not part of the Mid-Day editorial team) interviews people or writes about their parties or products. Around 15 per cent of the items are placed where the content space is sold by the sales team. Once again, these items are only about Bollywood, fashion, parties or product launches. There is a separate, specialized sales team that sells this space, and at no point in time do they dictate terms to

    Editorial, mainly because Centre Stage is not editorial space, but marketing real estate. In fact, there have been several instances when the Editorial staff in Mid-Day has trashed Centre Stage advertisers in the review section of the newspaper, and the sales team has gotten into trouble due to that negative coverage. Yet, we are very clear at Mid-Day that the Sales and Editorial wires do not cross, and that the Chinese wall between them stays even though we may be good friends outside the office.

    We are also very clear that Centre Stage will not carry any “news”, but only information on these three or four categories listed above. There is neither any opinion nor any recommendation made in the section that is endorsed by the editor. In the strictest sense of the term, it is an advertorial. Mid-Day, therefore, has stayed away from “paid news” and will continue to do so.

    Photograph: Fotocorp