Paid news syndrome may force govt intervention: Kumar
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MAY 3
Paid news syndrome may force union government to enact law to regulate media which will be bad day for press, claimed acting chief secretary Narendra Kumar.
“Because of the paid news tendency, there is dent in the credibility of the media. If the tendency continues, there may be public pressure forcing government to regulate such kind of tendencies,” Kumar said.
“If that happens it will be a ‘black day’ in the history of media,” he lamented.
Kumar, who is also Secretary, Information and Publicity, said that the political leaders are waiting for this day to come out.
The secretary criticized saying that the contract oriented labour policies adopted by media houses have been encouraging such tendencies across the country. “Goa is not the exception,” he added.
Kumar feels that there is need that the security of our media persons is taken care. “Time will come when the government will have to enact legislation to ensure job security to journalist and editorial board,” he stated.
Kumar was talking at the inaugural function of ‘Freedom of Press Day’ organized by Goa Union of Journalist (GUJ) in association with Information and Publicity department and Kala Academy.
Kumar praising the work of journalist said that the journalists are the one who holds pride and place in our society. “They are the one who can shape Goa,” he said.
Earlier, Goa union of journalist (GUJ) president Prakash Kamat pointed out state government’s lethargy towards making public, inquiry report into assault on a photojournalist, Soiru komarpant, working for a local newspaper, a year back.
Kamat demanded that state government should make all the findings in the report public. “We want the state government to look into other assault cases which are been ignored till date and a strict action need to be taken,” he said.
“The punishment for the guilty in the assault case would set an example for peoples trying to assault forth estate,” Kamat added.
Talking about the day’s importance, GUJ president said that the day is been celebrated to commemorate all those press person who laid their lives while serving for the society. “The day also celebrates freedom to the press,” stated.
Kamat said that this is for the first time that Goa is celebrating the ‘Freedom of press’ day since it has started in 1993 in United Nation.
The inaugural function was followed by a panel discussion on the topic ‘Freedom of Media and Rights of the Reader-Viewer’.
At the every beginning of the discussion, Inspector general of Police (IGP) Sundari Nanda said that media has played a great role is shaping India and in the long run India will be the master of the world.
However, Nanda said that Mumbai terror attack incident was hyped by few news channels who started giving their own versions. “On the other hand channels like BBC and CNN gave fair coverage to it,” she said.
She even feels that no sufficient homework is been done by media persons as far as social aspects of society is concerned.
“The journalists of today need to have a broader view,” IGP said.
Talking about the assault on Journalists, senior advocate Satish Sonak said that any assault on media is in-directly attack on public as media is eyes, ears and voice of viewers.
“We target media person on all the issues but why the state government and police is reluctant to come out with the final report of the journalist assault case,” he questioned. “Make the report public in next 24 hours, if government is concerned about press freedom,” Sonak demanded.
The other members present for the debate included columnist Jason Fernandes, activist Albertina Almeida, journalists Anil Lad, Nomrata Fernandes, and Roland Martins of GOACAN.
