Naidu asks media to shun tendency to sensationalise

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on October 6, 2019, asked media to shun the tendency to sensationalise and present facts dispassionately without mixing news and views. He said that media must remain honest and truthful and act with great restraint and responsibility.

Speaking at the centennial celebrations of ‘the Samaja’, a leading Odia Daily, at Cuttack, Odisha, Naidu said that a free and fair media was not just a part of a healthy democracy but was an indispensable prerequisite. “Media has been considered the fourth pillar of the democratic system– a pillar that supports, nurtures and nourishes the democracy and helps in course corrections as and when necessary,” he said.

Stating that media must inform, educate and enlighten people, Naidu said that it has a critical role to play in the formation of public opinion. He asserted that media must empower citizens and help in ushering in greater transparency and accountability in the governance system. “Media must amplify the voice of citizens and communicate their opinions to lawmakers,” he added. He urged media to expose loopholes in the democratic system helping the government in making the system more accountable, responsive and citizen-friendly. “Democracy without media is akin to a vehicle without any wheels,” the Vice President added.

Describing journalism as a mission, Naidu said that TRPs, circulation figures and bottom lines, though important, must not dictate media’s path. He said media must place the welfare of the common man and the progress of the nation at the centre of all its activities. He asked media to get rid of established prejudices and give voice to the expectations of youth, women, farmers and entrepreneurs.

Underscoring that media had the potential to be a vehicle for change in status quo, he called for the reporting and highlighting of more positive stories and best practices to inspire positive changes. He asked media to also lend a hand in protecting, preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage and languages.

Speaking of the rapidly proliferating social media, a by-product of which is fake news, the Vice President expressed concern that the pervasive menace of fake news threatens to destroy the credibility of media and asked media to effectively tackle and disprove fake news by taking control of the narrative.

Observing that completion of 100 years was a significant milestone in the journey of an organisation, Naidu said that the accomplishment was a testimony to the Samaja’s commitment to journalistic excellence, dedication to objective reporting, and above all, the popularity it enjoyed among the people of Odisha.

The Vice President paid tributes to the founder of the Samaja, Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Das and said that he was a great teacher, a renaissance poet, a seasoned journalist, a selfless social worker, a frontline freedom fighter and a great proponent of Gandhian ideologies and moral values. Naidu also released a book on Gopabandhu Das written by Dr  Subhash Chandra Mishra.