Media

Management

CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL

Issues of Media Management
• Media Planning
• Print Advertisements
• Day-to-Day Monitoring of Media
• Media Certification
• Paid News
• Issuing Media Passes
• Engaging with Media
• Intensive Poll Day Monitoring of Media
• Protocol for Media on Poll Day
Media Planning
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 Planning For Media
• Engaging Nodal Officer for Media

• Reconstituting Media Certification & Monitoring Committee (MCMC) in districts

• Identifying Infrastructure, Resources and Manpower for day-to-day

Media Monitoring

• Engaging with Media: Who will brief Media? When? Where?

What is the content of Media briefing?
District Media Plan

•Checklist for Media

•Media Calendar
 Media Checklist
Before Announcement of Poll
• Re-Constitution of District MCMCs (District Responsibility)
• Training of Nodal Officer of District MCMCs (State Responsibility)
• Orientation of members of District MCMCs(District Responsibility)
• Making available Compendium of Instructions on Paid News and
Related Matters to members of District MCMC committee( District
Responsibility)
• Procurement of Standard Rate-Cards from Director of Information and
Additional Director, DAVP and communication of Rates to the
districts(State Responsibility)
• Communication of provisions u/s 127A of the Representation of
People’s Act, 1951 to the print and publishing houses (District
Responsibility)
• Holding Workshop with media houses (State & District Responsibility)
• Uploading of relevant guidelines and application forms related to
Certification and Paid News in the website of CEO and DEOs (State
and District Responsibility)
• Pre-certification in Print Media
After Announcement of Polls
• DEO’s Notification of rates in local newspapers:
• DEO’s publication of Observer details
( Contact No/Place of Stay)
• Schedule of Meeting with People) in print
advertising media:
• DEO’s advertisement in print media on expenditure related issues:
• DEOs’ advertisement in print media on Government
dues of candidates:
• CEO’s advertisement in print media on Exit Poll and Opinion Poll
• CEO’s advertisement in print media on Date and
Time of Polls
• CEO’s advertisement in print media on use of alternate documents, if
any, as per instructions of the Commission:
• CEO’s advertisement in Print Media on Paid Holiday
• Pre-certification in Print Media
 MEDIA Calendar : Month March, Year 2018
Sund a y Mo nd a y Tue sd a y We d ne sd a y Thursd a y Frid a y Sa turd a y

1 2 3 4 5
Anno unc e m e nt o f
Ele c tio ns
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Exp e nd iture Mo nito ring
Ele c to ra l Ro ll d a ta Me a sure s: : Fly ing Sq ua d s Sta tuto ry Issue s: Sta tuto ry Issue s:
Sta tuto ry Issue s:
SVEEP & Sta tic Surve illa nc e Te a m s No m ina tio ns Sc rutiny
Withd ra w a l

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

CEC’s Pre ss Sta tuto ry Issue s: Me d ia Mo nito ring Tra ining o f Po lling Aud io - Visua l
inc lud ing PAID NEWS Pe rso nne l Aw a re ne ss Drive s
Co nfe re nc e Allo tm e nt o f Sy m b o ls & SAMADHAN &
Surve illa nc e
list o f c o nte sting SUVIDHA
c a nd id a te s

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Ob se rve rs
Po llin g Pe rso n n e l Pho to Vo te r Slip s Ethic a l Vo ting Mo d ific a tio ns in BMF/ Mo d e l Po lling
We lfa re the Ba llo t Pa p e r Sta tio ns a nd Po lling
Sta tio ns m a na g e d b y
Wo m e n Po lling
Pe rso nne l
27 28 29 30 31

No n- CAPF m e a sure s SAMADHAN EVM Issue s inc lud ing Ra d io Ca m p a ig n

in e le c tio ns Co m p la ints tra ining o f EVM

Ap ril 2016
 Print
Publication
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 Print Publication
CEO’s Responsibilities:
• Publication of Expenditure Control within
3 days of announcement of elections
• Declaration of Poll Day as Paid Holiday
• Declaration of Poll & Counting Days as Dry Days
• Ban On EXIT and OPINION Poll
• Advertisement on Special Observer
• Publication on date & time Poll, Use of EVMs &
VVPATs and alternate documents of voting
DEOs’ Responsibilities:
• Notification of Rates of Expenditure in local
Newspapers
• Publication in Newspapers Observers’ Details
(Contact No / Place of Stay/
Time of Meeting )
• Advertisement in Print Media about measures
taken for expenditure control
• Advertisements of Government dues of
candidates in prescribed formats in at least two
newspapers one of which must be in the
vernacular
Media
Monitoring
& Certification
Committee CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
Media Certification & Monitoring Committee
Media Certification Committee Media Certification Committee
at State Level at PC Level

1. Joint CEO/Additional CEO - Chairperson 1. Returning Officer of Parliamentary Constituency

2. Returning Officer of any Parliamentary Constituency 2. ARO ( not below rank of SDM)
located in the state capital 3. Central Govt. I & B official ( If available)
3. One expert not below the rank of Class-1 officer 4. Independent Citizen/Journalist as recommended by PCI
requisitioned from Ministry of I & B
5. District Information Officer

Returning Officer may co-opt as many officers as the

number of districts falling within the PC for having wider
opinion and equal representation from all districts.
What is Pre-Certification ?
Clearance of political advertisement by committee before being telecast on
television channels, cable networks, radio and other media including print media
for news paper advertisement on Poll day by any registered political party or any
group of organization/association or by any contesting candidate during elections.
Areas of Media Certification Pre Certification on Social Media
• Electronic media including television channels and Media Certification includes social media in any of the
cable networks following forms
• Audio-visual display of advertisement of political
nature
• Collaborative Projects like Wikipedia
• Radio FMs including private Radio FMs
• Blogs and micro blogs like Twitter
• Social media
• Content Communities like YouTube
• Display of advertisement in cinema halls
• Social Networking sites like Face book
• Audio Transmission of messages of political content
• Virtual Game world like Apps
• Bulk SMS
• Pre-certification of advertisement in Print Media on
Regarding certification of political advertisements on
Poll and P-1 days
social media, it is clarified that political advertisements
issued in e-papers of any newspapers will also be
required to be pre-certified.
 When should One apply for
pre-certification?
• For recognized National and State party and every contesting candidate, not later than three
days prior to the date of proposed commencement of the telecast of the advertisement

• In case of any other person or registered political party, it should be not later than seven days
prior to the date of telecast.
Where One should apply
• If any National or State Party with headquarters in the State wishes to seek certification of
advertisement in any regional language, the application has to be submitted to the State
level MCMC committee of the state concerned.

• If any National or State Party with headquarters in Delhi wishes to seek certification of
advertisement in any regional language, the application has to be submitted to the State
level MCMC committee of the state concerned.

• If a candidate wishes to seek certification of advertisement in any regional language, then

he may submit application before District MCMC committee
Documents to be attached for
Pre-certification
• Two copies of proposed advertisement in electronic form along with duly attested transcript
• Cost of production of advertisement
• Approximate cost of proposed telecast of advertisement with break up of number of insertions
and rate for each such insertion
• If the advertisement is issued by any person other than a political party or a candidate, that
person shall state on oath that the advertisement is not for benefit of any political party or a
candidate
• A statement that all the payment shall be made by cheque or demand draft
Time frame for Pre-Certification
• Upload the format for Pre-Certification in district website

• There will be two copies of proposed advertisement with one duly attested transcript

• In case of electronic media, District Media MCMC will either return pre-certified advertisement
material with or without corrections within 48 hours from the time of application of proposal for
telecast. It can also refuse to certify the content. In that case, it is required to substantiate its action with
reasons

• In case of print media, District MCMC will take appropriate action on certification and return it on the
same date
Media Certification : Important Instructions
• In matter of Pre-certification, District MCMC will consider whether Campaign material complies with the Model Code
of Conduct and provisions made under Cable Television Regulation Act, 1995 and Cable Television Regulation Rules,
1994

• The factuality and correctness of the advertisements is entirely the liability of the candidate and the political party

• The Returning Officer will issue a certificate and return one electronic copy of the advertisement duly signed by him to
the applicant certifying it to be fit for telecast

• A proper record shall be maintained for all applications received for certification which will be serially numbered
• District MCMC will issue certificate in prescribed format in Annexure B
•
Paid News
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 Paid News : What It Is
Any news or analysis appearing in any media
(Print & Electronic) for a price in cash or kind as consideration

Paid News: Adverse Effects

• it is advertisement in the garb of news

• Puts undue influence on the free will of the voters.

Encourages money power and disturbs level playing field in elections

• It misleads the public

Paid News : How to Adjust Some Illustration
• Identical articles with photographs and headlines appearing in competing publications
either carrying by-lines of different authors around the same time or without any
author’s name

• On the same page of specific newspapers, articles praising competing candidates

claiming that both are likely to win the same elections

• News item stating that one candidate is getting support of each and every section of
society and that he would win elections from the constituency

• Small events of a specific candidate given wider coverage while his opponents are not
covered at all.
Paid News : Mechanism to deal with
• The Commission has appointed Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at
District and State levels to monitor media for Paid News. They scrutinize all newspapers and
electronic media to locate political advertisement in the garb of news items and take
appropriate action against concerned candidates as per existing instructions of the
Commission

• In suspected cases of Paid News, the committee shall intimate the RO to

issue notices to candidates for inclusion of actual expenditure on published matter or
notional expenditure based on DIPR/DAVP rates in election accounts. A copy of the notice is
to be marked to the Expenditure Observer

•
 District MCMC : Timelines
• On reference District MCMC shall give notice to the candidates within
96 hrs. of publication/ broadcast/telecast/receipt of complaint to explain why expenditure should not be added
to the candidate’s expenditure.

• District MCMC shall decide on the reply expeditiously and convey to the
Candidate/Party its final decision.

• In case no reply is received by District MCMC from the candidate within

48 hrs of serving of notice, the decision of MCMC will be final

• The copies of notices, issued by the ROs, along with the paid news should be
displayed in the notice board of RO and DEO/CEO website

• The copies of the same may be given to any member of public on payment of
Rs 1/per page.
Media Watch
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 MEDIA Watch
1. Detection of Instances of MCC violations

2. Surveillance of suspected cases of Paid News

3. Identification of important news items that

may be brought to the knowledge of the Commission
 Media Monitoring
Functions of District level Media Monitoring Committee
1. Monitoring of news items in print & electronic media from
MCC point of view:
The Media Monitoring Committee will check regularly and keep
record of news items in print and electronic media which appear
to attract provisions of Model Code of Conduct and will arrange to
get it enquired for necessary remedial action.

2. Monitoring of political advertisements in print media:

Media Monitoring committee will check if the name and address of the publisher and the
printer is carried on in any election pamphlet, poster, hand bill, and other document as
required under section 127 of Representation of the People Act, 1951.
 Media Monitoring
Functions of District level Media Monitoring Committee

1. Monitoring of political advertisements in print media

Media Monitoring committee will check if the advertisement is with
the knowledge of the candidate. If it is published in the print media with
the consent of the candidate, expenditure will be booked in the election
expenses of the candidate. If it is not, action will be taken against
the publisher for violation of section 171H of the IPC

2. Monitoring of political advertisements in electronic media

The committee will check if the telecast/ broadcast has been done only
after certification by the Media certification committee as well as publicity
or advertisement or appeal by Star Campaigners and others to
impact candidates’ electoral prospects
 Issuing
Media Passes
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 MEDIA Passes
1. Media Passes will be issued only as per approved list of the
Commission
2. Authority letters will be physically collected from
the CEO Office
3. Commission has authorized the District Election
Officers alone to sign the authority letters and issue them
to the Media persons
4. Districts should have advance planning for collection
and distribution of authority letters to the media persons
Engaging
with Media CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
 Media Interactions
1. District Election Officers will brief the Press as and when required
2. Press Conference will be held by the DEOs following district media calendar/ schedule
• On announcement of elections
• On Poll day
3. Press Notes will be issued by the DEOs at the time of Press Conference and on other occasions as deemed
necessary by the DEOs

There will be a regular and continuous dialogue with the Press starting from the date of announcement of
elections
 Intensive Poll Day Monitoring
Reporting through EMMC
> Commission sets up EMMC to keep track of media complaints as they
surface in regional news channels

> Commission desires ATRs on media complaints

which are sent to CEO Office on two-hourly basis

> ATRs on Media Complaints shall be fed into SAMADHAN by districts.

It will be sent back to this office through
e-mail for communication to the Commission
Protocol for
Media on Poll Day
CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, WEST BENGAL
Protocol for MEDIA on Poll Day
> No Media Person will be allowed to enter
Polling Station/ Counting Centers without Authority letters

> The Do’s & Do nots for Media Persons are printed
on the reverse side of the Authority letters.
Media should be properly sensitized about it

> Presiding Officers are authorized to grant entry to

media persons to enter Polling Stations subject to his
subjective assessment of the situation

> The Media Persons can not inside the Voting Compartment
Protocol for MEDIA on Poll Day

> Media Persons entering inside Polling Stations

should not access any restricted document
or interview anybody or create any disorder

> No Interview can be taken in

no campaign zone, that is within the 100 meter
perimeter of Polling Stations on Poll day
Thank You