Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has approved the creation of a media monitoring centre to track news coverage across print, electronic, and digital platforms.
The centre, which will operate under the Directorate of Information and Publicity, has been allocated a budget of Rs 10 crore, according to a government resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday.
Objective and Operations
The monitoring centre will analyse news reports, identifying factual and misleading content related to government policies and schemes. It will categorize reports into positive, negative, and neutral coverage. If any misleading information is found, immediate clarifications will be issued, while responses to negative news will be provided on priority.
To handle operations, the government will hire a professional consultant through an e-tender process for an initial one-year term. The consultant will collect news reports in PDF format and provide real-time alerts on media trends, including the tone and sentiment of coverage. The Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) may extend the consultant’s contract for up to two additional years based on performance, with a maximum tenure of three years.
Concerns Over Media Surveillance
The decision to set up a monitoring centre comes amid growing concerns over the increasing number of media outlets and digital platforms. While the government justifies the move as a way to ensure accurate reporting on policies, the plan to categorize news and track sentiment raises questions about potential media surveillance.
The centre will function daily from 8 AM to 10 PM, keeping a close watch on media coverage across multiple platforms. However, the government’s role in defining “misleading” or “negative” news remains unclear, sparking debates about press freedom and editorial independence.
