Maharashtra To Set Up Media Monitoring Centre With Rs 10 Crore, Will Classify News As Positive And Negative

The Maharashtra government is planning to establish a media monitoring centre with an anticipated budget of Rs 10 crore. This centre will be responsible for scrutinising news content about the state government across various platforms such as print, electronic, social, and digital media, Indian Express reported.

Furthermore, it will analyse the coverage, compile a report, and address any dissemination of negative or misleading news concerning the state government with a real-time response mechanism.

“Government schemes and policies are publicised through various print, electronic, social and digital mediums. The state government was considering initiating a media monitoring centre where these news items will be monitored and analysed under one roof,” a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday (5 March) said.

The government is establishing a cell as a standalone project, tasked with setting up a system to scrutinise both positive and negative news disseminated across all print and digital mediums, including news applications and online news websites.

The centre will employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor and control the spread of false or deceptive news, which has the potential to incite disorder within the state.

The news will be categorised based on positivity or negativity, department, subject, incident, and individual personality. The agency will also monitor news items and information across electronic and digital platforms every hour. This will allow them to assess the prevailing trends, moods, and tones, and issue alerts accordingly.

The centre will operate from 8 am to 10 pm, providing regular updates. It will produce reports categorised by subject, district, division, incident, and individual on a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. In addition, a dashboard and mobile application will be established for easier access.

The centre will also take on the responsibility of analysing and preparing reports on the public's response to government policies and schemes.

According to the Government Resolution, the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) is responsible for creating a comprehensive project report (DPR). In addition, the DGIPR will investigate any comparable models that may have been implemented by other states.