Behind the "dank meme" culture lies a highly lucrative, unregulated economy. Investigative journalists in 2026 have uncovered how major political parties funnel millions of rupees into ostensibly independent pop-culture meme pages. These pages build massive youth followings through entertainment, only to subtly inject paid political messaging during election cycles.
The Bharat Media...
Ahead of the 2025 Delhi and state assembly bye-elections, the Press Council of India issued strict guidelines to curb "Paid News". The PCI warned that publishing identical political news across competing papers, or highlighting voters on a caste basis to favor a candidate, strongly suggests financial consideration. The Bharat Media Association urges all district editors to adhere strictly to...
Throughout the 2025-2026 assembly elections, the Press Council of India (PCI) has taken aggressive stances to protect democratic integrity from "Paid News" and surrogate political advertising. The PCI issued strict directives to print media to follow the Norms of Journalistic Conduct during recent polls in Delhi, Bihar, and West Bengal.
The Bharat Media Association supports this regulatory...
