Srinagar, March 15: Joint Director Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Haris Ahmed Handoo today said his priority would be streamlining the distribution of advertisements to newspapers and ensuring newspapers are run professionally.
He told Kashmir News Service (KNS) in a candid chat after he assumed charge of one of the important posts in government.
“First of all my priorities would be streamlining the distribution of advertisements. I will ensure fairness and transparency in it. Circulation, quality and subscription of wire services, readership, original editorial and quality analysis of content will be the criteria for the distribution of advertisements. I mean to say Newspapers should be run professionally and then they should have readership also,” he said.
“We will also do handholding of small newspapers as per the advertisement policy of 2016 with a rider that we will check whether they are doing constructive journalism or they have just turned them income generating units from government advertisements. On these parameters we will streamline the distribution of advertisements,” he added.
On being asked what would be the mechanism of DIPR to check circulation of newspapers, he said, “This is an issue. Officials of Information Department will check the exact circulation of newspapers. Second one is self-declaration whether it is through RNI or chartered accountant or Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), printing press certificates. We will try to get the exact circulation of newspapers. In case any newspaper files fake self-declaration, or Chartered Accountant seconds bogus claims of newspaper, there should be some punitive measures for that,” he said.
“If any newspaper doesn’t adhere to empanelment norms, then de-empanelment of newspaper will be done. If a newspaper is published professionally and has wider circulation, it benefits government also to promote its activities and programmes,” he added.
Regarding the allegations of some Small newspaper owners that DIPR is not dealing fairly with them, he told Kashmir Magazine that “We have to do handholding of small newspapers also according to Advertisement policy 2016. We will do it. But they should be run professionally. Advertisements are not a financial assistance program, but support for newspapers so that they can hire professionals who have degrees.” (KNS)
