Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and DMK candidate Nithya Sukumar campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in Kanchipuram on Monday (March 30, 2026). | Photo credit: ANI
The Press Council of India (PCI) has advised the print media to follow the Election Reporting Guidelines and Journalistic Conduct Standards-2022 on “paid news” during the upcoming elections.
The media has also been asked to follow the provisions regarding ‘pre-poll’ and ‘exit polls’ in a separate advisory.
Elections are to be held in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry and polls in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura.
“Newspapers are not expected to indulge in unhealthy election campaigning, exaggerated reporting of any candidate/party or incident during an election. In practice, two or three closely contested candidates attract all the media attention. While reporting on the actual campaign, a newspaper must not omit any important point raised by a candidate and attack his opponent,” it said.
Stating that the press should avoid reports which tend to promote feelings of enmity or hatred between people on the basis of religion, race, caste, community or language, the council should refrain from publishing false or critical statements about the personal character and conduct of any candidate, etc.
“No person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publish through print or electronic media or in any other manner disseminate the result of any exit poll during such period as may be notified by the Election Commission in this regard,” it said, adding that whoever violates the concerned provisions shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with both.
Published – 30 March 2026 21:50 IST
