As social media now plays an important role in the making of public opinion, poll-bound Meghalaya has initiated immediate steps to follow Election Commission of India’s guidelines in use of the popular social media tools in election campaign.
Officials of the East Khasi Hills district administration on Friday met the members of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC), returning officers and local cable network operators for a briefing on the ECI’s instructions regarding the use of social media in election campaign.
The officials said the MCMC, which examines complaints about paid news, will scan the print media, electronic media, digital media and cable networks, and will initiate steps if there is any violations of the ECI guidelines.
The Election Commission in November last year had constituted a state-level committee in Meghalaya to check the menace of paid news and ensure that assembly elections are conducted in a fair manner.
Headed by the Meghalaya’s chief electoral officer FR Kharkongor, the committee will decide on appeals on certification of advertisement. The committee will examine all cases of paid news and to take up suo motu action.
The monitoring committee can also direct the returning officers of the constituencies to issue notice to the candidates or political parties.