Tag Archives: media

ECI mandates all political Parties to get pre-certification of all political advertisements on electronic media

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has declared the program of the General Election to Legislative Assemblies in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and bye-elections in 6 states recently where in the rules have been spelt out for the political parties and independent contestants.

ECI has made a requirement of all registered political party and any group of organization/ association or any contesting candidate/individual seeking to be pre-certified by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) on all political advertisements in the electronic media (e.g. TV, Radio, AV displays at public places, e-papers, bulk SMS/ voice messages) and social media.

Any individual or competing candidates may seek advertisement certification at District MCMC. A certification of such advertisements can be sought by all registered political parties with their respective head offices located in a State/UT by the State Level MCMC. The applications have to be submitted in accordance with the given timelines. The State level too constitutes an Appellate Committee headed by the CEO to listen to the appeals against the decision of District/State MCMC.

Without the prior certification of the MCMC, political parties/ candidates must not release any political adverts on internet based media/ websites such as social media websites.

MCMCs will also maintain a high alert on possible incidents of paid news in the media and act accordingly.

Moreover, the candidates must provide the information regarding their original social media profiles in their affidavit during nomination.

Section 77(1) of Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the guidelines of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India states that political parties are also required to present a statement of expenditure incurred on campaigning using internet including social media websites to the ECI within 75 days after completion of assembly elections.

This spending among other things shall involve payment to internet companies and websites to carry adverts and campaign related spending on content development and operational spending incurred to maintain their social media accounts.

To this effect, the representatives of the Social Media Platforms (SMPs), the CEOs, State Police Nodal Officers and state IT Nodal Officers of all poll-bound States/UT were held to sensitise them of the above provisions and to validate and ensure a timely action against reported cases of misinformation, disinformation and fake-news during elections on March 19, 2026.

 

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UN ready to assist Nepal following deadly protests over social media ban

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Police used tear gas and opened fire on protesters attempting to storm the parliament complex in the capital, Kathmandu, according to media reports. 

Curfews have been imposed in parts of the city and in Rupandehi, with restrictions on movement effective in Pokhara.

‘So unlike Nepal’

UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Fikry Ahmed Singer described the situation as “so unlike Nepal” and feared that casualty numbers will rise. 

“Lots of my staff here are crying,” she told UN News in an interview.  “They haven’t seen violence in their lifetime.”

The protests came just days after the Nepalese Government blocked more than 20 social media platforms such as WhatsApp, X and Facebook, as well as websites such as YouTube, for failing to register with the authorities.

“The Government wanted them to align to the internal laws as well because they have been concerned about misinformation, hate speech and social harmony, and to ensure oversight and monitoring,” she said.

“However, the decision was widely criticised as being too broad and has been perceived by many, particularly young people who are very global, like all parts of the world now, they consider this as a restriction on freedom of expression and access to digital spaces.”

Concern for civilians

Ms. Ahmed Singer voiced deep concern for the safety of civilians and underscored the urgent need to ensure unrestricted medical access to the injured. 

“The immediate priority now is the protection of civilians, particularly young people who are at the forefront of the protests,” she said.

Social media came back online shortly before the interview.  The senior humanitarian official said she posted a message on X calling upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint, adhere to basic principles on use of force and firearms, and ensure that people can safely and peacefully exercise their democratic rights.

“The most important now is unrestricted access to medical care as well for those that are injured, if needed,” she said.

Supportive role

Meanwhile, UN agencies in the country – such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN human rights office, OHCHR – are monitoring developments closely.

They are preparing health and other forms support if needed and stand ready to facilitate dialogue. 

“Our role really is to remind everybody to ensure the protection of civilians, safeguard fundamental freedoms, and support Nepal in its commitment to international human rights norms and standards,” she said. 

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The missing half: The urgent need for more women’s representation in the media

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“When women are missing, democracy is incomplete,” said Kirsi Madi, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director with the UN gender equality agency, UN Women, responding to the latest analysis.

Ms. Madi emphasised that the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women in the media needs to be recognised as a key issue, so that democratic standards are not eroded for future generations.

Seeing ourselves

UN assessments show that, despite severe restrictions on their rights in many countries, women continue to lead community initiatives, support education, and advocate for social and economic resilience under the most challenging conditions.

In Afghanistan’s Kunduz Province, *Mehrgan leads a women’s organization that once trained hundreds of women and supported local NGOs but lost much of its funding and staff in 2022.

With support from UN Women, it has since rebuilt its capacity and is now helping other women’s groups do the same.

When the media focuses only on women’s victimhood, it erases their leadership and obscures the full reality of their contributions to peace, stability, and social progress, the report highlights. Sharing stories like Mehrgan’s ensures that the public and policymakers recognize not only the challenges, but also the solutions women are driving on the ground, UN Women said.

Barriers to gender equality

Equally important is the lack of news coverage relating to gender-based violence (GBV).

Instead of challenging stereotypes, news media continue to reinforce skewed narratives such as victim-blaming typecasts, portraying GBV as isolated incidents, silencing survivor voices, and using gendered language and tropes in reports.

“Fewer than two in 100 stories cover the abuse that far too many women experience”, underscored UN Women.

Not only does severe underreporting on GBV distort reality, it also shapes public perception. Nearly four in five news stories focus on politics, the economy, or crime, leaving issues like gender-based violence underreported.

Representation is even bleaker for minority women. While individuals from racial, ethnic, religious, and other minority groups represent just six per cent of the people featured in news coverage, only 38 per cent of them are women.

The likelihood that a woman in the news is likely to be from a minority group is less than one in 10.

The way forward

Although the path to greater representation remains challenging, digital news offers a clear pathway to increased inclusion.

During the pandemic, the proportion of female online reporters increased from 25 per cent in 2015 to 42 per cent in 2020. Campaigns like the UN’s HeForShe Campaign continue to be effective vectors for promoting women’s coverage in the media and challenging stereotypes.

As the UN’s 80th General Assembly approaches, the need to reinforce gender parity and gender representation becomes even more pressing, especially considering that over the last 30 years, little to no progress has been made, said UN Women. 

For more information and details, see the summary of key findings from the GMMP report here.

*Her name has been changed to protect her identity

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