TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Journalists covering the upcoming budget session of the Assembly have been asked to sport black arm bands/scarves if chief minister Manohar Parrikar does not apologise for his disparaging remarks against journalists, by the Goa Union of Journalists. The decision was taken at a meeting after Parrikar failed to respond to the presspersons demand for a public apology.
“GUJ executive committee has decided to ask all journalists to wear black ribbons/scarves while covering the budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly beginning from March 3 for the entire duration,” President Kishor Naik Gaonkar said adding that the move was to express shock and displeasure towards this disparaging attitude of the chief minister towards journalists. “The chief minister’s belittling utterances against journalists are painful,” he said.
As reported in the print as well as television media, Parrikar said at the public function: “What is a reporter’s salary…How much does a news reader earn? May be 25,000 (rupees). They are mostly graduates. They are not great thinkers… intellectuals. They write news how they understand it.”
The unwarranted and unsubstantiated comments from Parrikar are not his first when it comes to unqualified, scornful assault on the media and its functioning in Goa.
Parrikar also said that there was prevalence of paid news in Goa, where “people take money to write”.
GUJ seeks that Parrikar either come clean, name and shame those involved, as well as prosecute those journalists or newspaper organisations which he alleges are indulging in paid news or hold his silence until he can prove his charges and refrain from painting all journalists with the same brush.
“GUJ has always been critical of paid news and would fully support any endeavor which could help address the issue of paid news within the media fraternity,” the statement reads.
