IRFAN QURAISHI
SRINAGAR, 22,
MARCH: The
much awaited new advertisement policy announced by the Jammu and Kashmir State
Government recently is termed as old wine in a new bottle by the majority of
newspapers owners. The new advertisement policy has again raised questions on
the sincerity of authorities to put an end to the alleged rampant corruption
and nexus within state information department into the distribution of
government advertisement.
The
new policy was expected to revise the existing
Advertisement Policy issued way back in the year 1996 to scrutinize the
bizarre phenomenon of bogus newspapers publishing handful of copies to attract
government advertisement. Many owners of
approved or unapproved newspapers call new policy as anti-newspapers and
totally detrimental to the interests of the fourth pillar of the democracy.
Pertinently after series of stories against the less visible newspapers attracting government advertisement were published in section of media, especially a detailed eye opener story titled ‘Kashmir's bogus Newspapers’ by Irfan Quraishi in February 2015 in the hoot, the new policy was formulated by PDP- BJP government and sent for State Administrative Council (SAC) approval. The policy was recently approved and announced by the Governor N. N. Vohra led government on March 04 this month.
It
is being observed that the claim of government authorities that the new policy
has been formulated only to ensure justice with the newspapers which have wide
circulations falls flat as this policy is full of discrepancies, loopholes and
turns Ambiguous. The policy according to the media fraternity lacks a mechanism
to check the circulation and to categories newspapers for the distribution of
advertisement without discrepancies.
According
to the new policy, the Empanelment Committee shall consider empanelment of
newspapers/magazines printed and published in the State of Jammu and Kashmir
mainly on the basis of their circulation, production standard, content and
number of pages. Also the newspapers according to the policy have been
characterized into four categories, viz A, B, C and D to ensure that deserving
newspapers get advertisement as per the guidelines and their circulations. But
the problem is that the mechanism set for the circulation claim is not
transparent and clear. It appears that it has been formulated only to give
undue favour to some selective newspapers.
As
per the policy, the Circulation claim of a publication will be accepted, only
if it is certified by Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) and Audit Bureau
of Circulation (ABC). The circulation Certificate will be considered valid up
to three years from the date of issue for the purpose. In case the newspaper is
not assessed by RNI/ABC, the Empanelment Committee will take into consideration
the claim of circulation certified by a recognized Chartered Accountant and the
certificate of the Printing Press alongwith the print order of the newspaper/
periodical concerned.
But
simultaneously it says, “The Department of Information & Public Relations
shall also reserve the right to have the figures of circulation, printing
capacity, news print consumption and sale proceeds verified through any
independent mechanism, in respect of any category of publications as would be
considered appropriate.”
The
policy has empowered Information Department to
the extent that it seems to be serving as Vigilance Department and not as
Public Relations Office. Jammu Kashmir Press Association (JKPA) while reacting
on the government’s new policy of distributing advertisement said that it is
apt to cause a big dent to J&K based newspaper Industry adding that they
shall be forced to knock the doors of Judiciary if due amendments are not made by the government. The JKPA adds, “The amendments also
need in respect of curbing ample powers given to the Information Department,
which is not acceptable.”
Meanwhile
regarding the already existing empanelled newspapers, the policy mentions, “The
Empanelment Committee shall afresh examine the existing newspaper/periodical
circulation level and recommend to the Government for placing them under the
appropriate category (A, B, C & D) for release of advertisements. But
policy has failed to clear that what is yardstick that will be applied by the Empanelment
Committee for placing these newspapers under the appropriate category.
This
indicates the policy makers have constituted confusing and indifferent yard
sticks for existing newspaper and fresh empanelment to claims their categories
to get advertisement. Possibly, every
owner of the already empanelled newspaper would claim that his or her paper
falls in the "A" category. “This new advertisement policy is likely
to open a Pandora's box and it appears that it has been formulated only to give
undue favour to some blue eyed newspapers, not to bring accountability and
transparency in the system, said a owner of unapproved newspaper wishing not to
be named.
And
importantly, there is no mention about how much advertisement space would be
given to papers of different categories. Meanwhile, the new policy has sets
eligibility criteria for empanelment of newspapers and periodicals, but there is
no mention of categorization of periodicals like biweekly/weekly, fortnightly,
monthly. The owners of the periodicals wonder that the circulation criteria set
for daily newspapers to claim their categories cannot be relevant to or applied
to biweekly/weekly, fortnightly, monthly publications.
The
policy also failed to define the criteria for distributing advertisements
to Electronic Media and News Portals. The policy says, “Subject to the
availability of funds, Directorate of Information and public relations (DIPR)
may consider releasing advertisements to Electronic Media, News Portals which
fulfill the criteria, to be determined by the Empanelment Committee. Provided
that the Empanelment Committee shall co-opt such experts as it deems
appropriate to firm up the criteria for issuing advertisements to the
empanelled electronic media, news portals.”
Fearing an axe
on advertisement, editor, owner and publisher of a prominent newspaper in
valley on condition of anonymity said that it appears that those who have
formulated this policy have fooled the higher-ups. He said, “The people who
seem to have devised it have ignored the basic factor which makes a newspaper
popular i.e. circulation and its reach. Jammu and Kashmir is perhaps the only
State in the country which lacks a mechanism to check circulation of newspapers.
As a result the newspapers which are hardly visible in the market or are pro
establishment get the Lion's share from the of Government advertisements”.
According to the
official data as many as 622 newspapers and
periodicals are published in the State out of which only 375 are empanelled for
publication of Government advertisements. Pertinently, the newly registered
newspapers are still awaiting empanelment in absence of the empanelment meeting
for past five years by the information department which is a sheer injustice. “In
absence of the meeting for past five years we are facing financial crisis,
which is also against the government policy”, said Association of publishers of
the unapproved newspapers. They said that the information department is doing
step motherly treatment with them as despite the association’s proposal in this
regard was in principle agreed to by the late Chief Minister; nothing was done
at the avail.
Meanwhile credible
sources in the Information Department said that this policy was formulated only
to favour some selective newspapers as some officers of the Information
Department are reaping benefits by favouring these newspapers. Sources added
that still some less visible newspapers are getting monthly advertisement worth
Rs lakhs adding that “If a probe is ordered into
distribution of the advertisements it can open a Pandora's box”.
(Irfan Quraishi is Kashmir Based Broadcast
& Multimedia Journalist.)
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