Monitoring of Campaign through Electronic/ Print Media including Cable Network:

The MCMC shall closely watch the campaign through electronic/print media including cable network, radio etc. and pre-certification is done in case of advertisement in electronic media. A meeting shall be taken by the DEO with the political parties and also with the representatives of news papers and in case of print media clarify to them that all the advertisements issued/published by them would have to be properly owned as per section 127 A of R. P. Act, 1951 and any practice of surrogate advertising shall be dealt with stemly. The DEO shall take particular care to alert political parties, candidates and media that 'news reports based on 'payments', generally described as "Paid News" shall be accounted for through MCMC and they must refrain from such practice. The DEO shall also explain the new Expenditure Monitoring Mechanism and related legal provisions. He shall request the political parties to exercise self-restraint and through political parties, advise all their candidates to exercise similar restraint on expenditure. At the state level, the Chief Electoral Officer shall carry out the same exercise.

If the advertisement for general party propaganda with photo or appeal of the leader (Star Campaigner) within the meaning of section 77 of the R. P. Act, 1951, is made in print and electronic media, without any reference to any candidate, then expenditure on such general party advertisement shall be booked to the account of the political party. If such leader happens to be a candidate in any constituency, the expenditure on such general party propaganda, even if it contains his photo, in print and electronic media, shall not be booked to the account of such leader, as it is in the nature of general party propaganda, without having any reference to his constituency. (Commission's letter NO.76/Instructions/2012/EEPS dated 20th January, 2012, at Annexure- D10)