Maharashtra govt sets up media watchdog, allocates Rs 10 crore

The Maharashtra government has approved the establishment of a Media Monitoring Center to systematically track, analyze, and report news across print, electronic, social, and digital media. With a budget of ₹10 crore, the initiative aims to monitor news trends, fact-check misinformation, and provide real-time reports to enhance communication and governance. Various professional consulting firms specializing in media monitoring will be engaged to implement and operate the system.

According to the Government Resolution (GR) dated March 5 (a copy of which is with Storyboard18), the government has granted administrative and financial approval for the establishment and operation of a unified Media Monitoring Center. The center will scientifically monitor, analyze, and report news from electronic, social, and digital media, providing real-time updates through dashboards and mobile applications. A total estimated expenditure of ₹10 crore has been sanctioned for this initiative.

The Media Monitoring Center will be established as an independent initiative under the Directorate of Information and Public Relations. The plan will initially cover print, electronic, social, and digital media, including online news websites and news applications. In the next phase, additional media platforms may be included as needed.

The media monitoring cell will collect PDF clippings of important news articles from newspapers and categorize them as positive or negative, based on region, topic, and individual relevance. It will monitor electronic and digital media reports every hour and generate alerts on trends, viewpoints, and key topics.

Additionally, the team will summarize and analyze all media reports and generate region-wise, district-wise, and subject-wise reports. Officials will prepare daily, weekly, and monthly reports, as well as on-demand reports, providing integrated information through dashboards and mobile applications.

The media monitoring cell will also analyze public reactions and sentiments regarding government schemes and policies. It will identify and flag false, misleading, or potentially disruptive information circulated through media. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used to systematically monitor and analyze media reports.

The GR further states, “The Directorate of Information and Public Relations will study the outcomes of media monitoring initiatives implemented in other states. If found beneficial, external expertise will be hired for optimized implementation, cost reduction, and system maintenance.”

The agencies responsible for setting up and operating the center will be selected through an e-tendering process for a one-year contract, extendable up to two years based on performance.

The required expenditure will be allocated under the Directorate of Information and Public Relations budget. Funds will be disbursed per government financial regulations and approvals from relevant departments.