Paid news is a phenomenon in Indian media, that refers to the systematic engagement of mainstream media outlets in publishing favorable articles in exchange for payment. This type of news is typically sponsored by politicians, businessmen, and celebrities in order to improve their public image or accomplish political goals.
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Politicians sponsoring paid news
The Election Commission of India has detected hundreds of cases where politicians paid newspapers or TV channels to carry favorable reports.
The Election Commission is reported to have identified more than 1,400 cases of paid news between 2009 and 2013, during which elections were held in 17 states of India. One person involved, Deepak Chaurasia, host of India News, is accused of being a promoter of paid news in India.
In a video Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal was seen as playing the role of a part-time editor and advising the journalist on which part of the interview should be played up more.
Businesses and celebrities sponsoring paid news and 'private treaties'
Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd, which owns the Times of India, is reported to have asked celebrities and the wealthy to pay for favorable coverage. They have offered a "private treaty" agreement, which accepts an equity stake in a company in return for favorable coverage. The New York Times described "private treaties" as an example of the commodification of business news. A New Yorker article says that the Times of India "have been dismantling the wall between the newsroom and the sales department" with Times MediaNet.
Similar practices by other media companies came to light as Jindal Steel filed litigation media company Zee News for allegedly demanding advertisements so as not to telecast shows in relation to the Indian coal allocation scam.
An older report by media critic The Hoot identified how "private treaties" influence reporting. However, the CEO designate of Times private treaties, in an interview with MediaNama, justified the practices as "there are two currencies for advertising – cash and treaties".
The Hoot's report named several companies besides Sobha Developers and Pyramid Saimira (now defunct) that participated in Times private treaties: Birla Power Solutions Ltd, Deccan Aviation, Pantaloon, Provogue, Spice Mobiles Limited, Videocon Industries Ltd, Deccan Aviation, India Infoline, The Home Store, Amity Education, Paramount Airways, Future Group, Sahara One, Precept Pictures etc.
Criticism of paid news
Some groups have criticized paid news including Bloomberg, who claimed that "paid news was rotting India's democracy." The Analytic Monthly Review has also criticized India's media problems to well known problems in the political economy after the adoption of neo-liberal policies.
The Press Council of India has also led its own investigative report on the phenomenon of paid news, but later rejected their findings.