Small local dailies, tabloids under scanner in Puducherry for paid news

Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer has said the EC had directed that small local newspapers and tabloids should also be under the scanner of the committees for checking against publication of paid news.

Puducherry: As part of measures to curb paid news in the run up to the May 16 assembly elections, election commission has directed that small local newspapers and tabloids should also be scanned by State and District-level Media Certificate and Monitoring Committees to detect any violations of norms.

Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer V Candavelou in a release here said the EC had directed that small local newspapers and tabloids should also be under the scanner of the committees for checking against publication of paid news.

Candavelou said that appropriate legal action would be taken in keeping with the provisions of the Representation of People Act 1951 whenever paid news was spotted in the small local dailies and tabloids.

He warned the publishers to be wary of this while publishing news or advertisements and any violation of the act would attract legal action.