THE DIRECTORATE of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), the advertising arm of the Union government, has suspended 51 newspapers from getting any government advertisement for two months. In an order issued on Wednesday, DAVP mentioned that the majority of these newspapers had been suspended after the Press Council of India found them to have indulged in either “paid news” or breaching “the norms of journalistic ethics”. Apart from the Delhi edition of a Hindi newspaper and Bhubaneswar edition of a national daily, all the other suspended publications are local newspapers.

Of the 51 publications, 37 were suspended after Press Council of India found them to have published paid news.

A couple of publications were censured for “casting severe insinuation against the complainant and no justification for publication of impugned news item”. One publication each was suspended for “irresponsible and an act of mala fide reporting”, “inaccurate and disrespectful news reports” and “publishing false and concocted impugned news item”.

Two newspapers were censured for “false news item with an intention to blackmail” and “demanding money for publishing advertisement without authorisation,” respectively. The publications were suspended as per DAVP policy introduced in 2016. According to clause 25(d) of DAVP’s Print Media Advertising Policy 2016, the government can temporarily drop empanelled publications from getting government advertisements if the Press Council finds them to have indulged in unethical practices.

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