Most media houses, from time to time, publish special supplements on a given topic,which are used as special vehicles for more targeted advertising, and may include paid content and advertorials—newspaper or magazine advertisements that give information about a product in the form of an editorial. These may range from supplements on industries, events, or specific topics, to those on government bodies. In January 2012, the Sunday Guardian—a Noida-based Sunday newspaper that was founded by MJ Akbar, an erstwhile journalist, who is now a national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—published a special supplement on the Gujarat government, which was headed by Narendra Modi at that time.

The internal emails of Essar—an Indian conglomerate that has investments in sectors such as steel, infrastructure and energy—reveal that the newspaper had approached Essar and offered the company advertising space in the supplement. Interestingly, in its communication with potential advertisers, the newspaper also sent out a letter from the Gujarat information and broadcast department that reiterated the support of the state government to the supplement. The letter, signed by principal secretary in the information and broadcasting department stated, “Here we see an opportunity for our Industries, Government, Corporate, Private sector and Business houses to be part of this special supplement in promoting our achievements and conveying the message of Gujarat to the readers of this newspaper.”