Editors Guild plans to check paid news

One of my pet peeves is finally getting noticed by the media. The Times of India Property Times supplement is a prime example of planted 'paid' news stories. Lets see if this Editors guild directives makes any difference. Indian Express reports

The Editors Guild of India, an industry body representing senior media editors across the country, has declared the issue of “paid news” as its focal agenda for 2010. Expressing shock and serious concern over the news reports on the increasing menace of “paid news” in media, the guild, in its annual general meeting held Tuesday in Delhi, announced the setting up of an “ethics committee” that will draft a code of conduct on the issue.

“To begin with we will send out letters to editors across the country to mobilise consent on the steps to be taken to check this menace,” said Rajdeep Sardesai, president of the guild and editor-in-chief of IBN Network. The code of conduct will list the do’s and don’ts on the issue, said Sardesai.

The ethics committee that will draft the code will be headed by T N Ninan, editor of financial daily Business Standard. The other members of the committee include noted columnist B G Varghese, Sumit Chakravarty, editor of Mainstream, and Madhu Kishwar, editor of Manushi.