Role of media in protecting democratic values in India: Success and Failure

In relation to society, media plays an important role in the life of human beings. In the contemporary period, media in form of radio videos, television has become a dependable factor for people in order to get information related to national as well as international interests. Media has also become a source for people to stay connected with their family members, friends and colleagues and assist them to keep themselves updated with the ongoing social trends.

Today, under the basic idea of freedom of speech and expression, media has invaded almost all elements of an individual’s life and thus can be considered universal. In India, there are different categories of media such as mass media which is further of various types like cinema, television, radio, magazines, newspaper and many active sites based on internet. At present, the media power has reached upto such great height that a body of government can be formed or shattered, simply by the positive and negative determination of the people.

In the public domain, the Indian media functions as a mediator between the citizens and the government, bringing up problems of serious concern and also acts as an agenda setter. The citizens must be protected by media in the first place in order to preserve the democratic values of the nation. This role is rightly acted by the media socially by aiding governmental programs such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Swach Bharat Abhiyan, water and fuel saving initiatives etc. The media also helps the underprivileged people. The crimes related to women such as violence and gender discrimination and the practice of considering women weaker both physically and mentally prevailing in Indian society has been brought into light by the media. The people of the society are communicated and made aware of various other gruesome crimes via television, effective films, influential radio documentary, drama and animation. The social evils are terminated by bringing about positive change by the government by the help of the media. Therefore, free participation of people is involved in media and it acts as an unbiased mentor, this aids in encouraging the state of being equal in status, opportunities or rights which fortify the democracy. The country is also shaped economically and politically by the media apart from the social change. The media at times derive secret information related to corruption and make is accessible to the public making the life of officials and corrupt bodies of government difficult. In the nation, a great number of people are not aware of the political parties or the political activities. As a result of which many do not vote or vote in darkness. The media helps in making the public aware of the clear picture of the political parties, leaders and their agenda. Therefore, it plays a significant role in the turnout of a voter which is beneficial for the democracy’s strengthening. The media contributes greatly by providing accountability, publicity and transparency.

The current role of the media in the system of Parliament is a matter of debate along with criticism for ignoring its responsibilities towards the society. Certain practices of the media commercially has affected the Indian democracy recently. In the Indian market, truth and the quality or state of being correct is almost lost at the expense of interest of the world in media. In the recent years, the media somewhat seem to be navigated towards the dark. Today, the media acts as mouthpiece of the political parties and the agencies are under the control of some political leader. The rising communal riots due to coverage of sensitive propaganda news might prove threat to the democracy.

Thus, it is the duty of the media to act in a more responsible way and be accountable for presenting any information or news to the public. There is lot of scope for media to rise up to the people’s expectations and refine its standard. Freedom of press is a blessing in India but at times it may turn out to be alarming.

WHAT IS INDIAN MEDIA DOING?

The purpose of media in a nation is to provide information and knowledge to the people of the country. Media is regarded to be the most reliable means of information for the masses. There is no uncertainty about it that media plays an essential part in broadcasting information and facts, it keeps us informed regarding the happening across the world. The media acts as a link within the residents and the administration of the nation act as a third eye to the government, it draws clarity between the people and the state. News media is the fourth pillar of the democracy, be it a print media or television/ radio its main objective is to spread information with unbiased news without any modification or restriction, because people believe what they know, see and hear from these media platforms and manage to develop views and beliefs based on the data they are perceiving.

Indian media has been known for its reliable and substantial influence on the social, economical and political aspects of the country. In recent years the practice of funded news and increase in TRP has destroyed the faith across the media drastically, and because of this, the biggest victim turns out to be the Indian constitutionalism. The system of exerting money and supports from the corporate houses, politicians, administration, and big organizations, so that the media could show beneficial news concerning them has become a general practice in the press and is ruining the integrity of a journalist. Even if some of the media organizations or reporters want to present the right information to the people, they are always shut by the warning or threatening calls .

From the past two months where Indian TV channels mainly national ones have developed a fascination for one particular section of news – the demise of Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput. No matter however trivial or impossible, the Indian news media has left no stone unturned while broadcasting on Rajput’s death while there is other news like continuous rapes in Uttar Pradesh, the aftermath of floods in Assam, Ladakh issues, etc.

Most of the TV-news channels undividedly feed the desires of their political leaders and build the narratives to promote their political publicity. Paid news is dropping moral norms of journalism and day by day, the trust of the people on media platforms is disintegrating. The news commentators sitting on the ease of their AC studios and involving in undesirable discourse upon particular splinter group are accused of the current position of crisis in the nation. The Indian media now bears a severe crisis of reliability. If it does not improve itself, it will find its greatest asset going quickly depreciated and ultimately disappearing. Stripped of authenticity, sincerity, and trustworthiness, the media will desist to value to huge numbers of people lacking as a source of shoddy entertainment. Its high time now and we should stop this inconsistency before it causes more damage to the nation. Simply debar these news channels as we don’t need the help of news channels for biased opinions.

Freedom of press and newspaper

Article 19 states right to freedom of speech and expression that is guaranteed to every citizen of India.It is the communication and expression through various media like print, electronic etc. In today’s scenario , its right to say that media make and break image of a person, party or a leader that’s why media in today’s atmosphere think that they are above everybody, even call themselves as fourth pillar of democracy. But we have three pillars of democracy that are also control under this media.

I can give you very basic example how media play dirty politics. We have an Official Secret Act,1923 according to which we cannot disclose any service related information to outsiders. However, if we see to the current conditions that our higher hierarchy retired from defence services important and secret information related to defence installation are disclosed by media to gain public admiration and sympathy. They disclose all important features and aspects of defence installation which are superior and shouldn’t known to anyone.

Not this only, even during some terrorist attack like 26/11, Patthankot air base attack ,2016 ,this media coverage has disclose the positions of our security by live telecasting when our country is on serious threat causing loss of lives. It is the worst type of media which has cause loss of defense personal lives and agony to our country.

However, they have hijacked the 3 pillars of democracy and in real words they are black spot on our system. There are also some media persons which follow the real traditions of journalism but in today’s scenario we see a very dim light of real journalism.

Is Media a fourth pillar of democracy?

16 December 2012: A severe assault and murder, prevalently known as “NIRBHAYA GANG-RAPE CASE”, shocked the country. A student, in Delhi, was coming back to home, late night, with a companion. Shockingly, when they couldn’t discover a vehicle late night, they took a transport, which had just six individuals other than them. She was severely assaulted by these six who were tanked, including one who was under 18 years and was generally ruthless among all. Her companion was additionally beaten and left oblivious. Them two were tossed out of the transport, stripped, after the episode. This case offended individuals and entire country saw numerous fights and rallies. Introductory numbness of the individuals passing by and organization intensified the circumstance. Media assumed an essential job for this situation. This weight made by individuals and media got a critical change Indian enactment on Rape cases. It corrected Justice Juvenile Act, and decreased the age bar from 18 to 16, to be considered as a grown-up. Government in association spending plan 2013, given to setting up a Nirbhaya budget. Comparative cases are the ongoing Unnao assault case, Kathua assault case. These cases made a great deal of revisions in different acts like JJ act, POCSO act.

KM NANAVATI versus Province of Maharashtra is another milestone choice, which got a ton of media inclusion and the jury was supposed to be impacted by it. KM NANAVATI was a maritime official. At the point when he came back from a task, he finds about his wife affair with Prem ahuja, who expected to wed her. He leaves his wife, Sylvia and their child at a theater and went to go up against Prem Ahuja. He asks Prem if he accepts Sylvia and take care of their child, which Prem refuses. In this heated moment, Nanavati shot him dead.

Nanavati was at first announced “not guilty” by a jury however later Bombay high court condemned him to life detainment. In any case, later, vijayalaxmi pandit, recently selected senator absolved Nanavati. This case obviously shows how media’s essence can impact the free organ of Indian democracy- judiciary.

At the point when we consider characterizing democracy , a crucial definition that comes in our psyche is the one which was given by Abraham Lincoln at his popular Gettysburg address. He portrayed democracy as “of the individuals, for the individuals and by the individuals”. The essential thought behind popular government is individuals practicing power. They are the preeminent position. Associating individuals gets significant at this stage. With increment being used of innovation, individuals are having better associations. Online networking is perhaps the best stage for it. From discussions to offering thoughts and perspectives, different instructive, wellbeing and different applications, media is exceptionally critical. Digitalization and innovation has reached to pretty much every edge of the world. This utilization has carried individuals to a typical foundation of correspondence. They can either interface in local or worldwide dialects. Media isn’t just about reporting.

In any case, in ongoing decades, media is viewed as a lessened organ of majority rules system. It has lost its believability. News channels order themselves as per either ideological group. They, rather than introducing reality, continue charging each other for either issues. More often than not, these channels show insignificant and strange stuff. At the point when they speak to the national TV, they have more noteworthy desires. The method of introduction now and then befuddles the crowd about the phoniness, the suppositions and reality. Horde lynching cases in news, due to whatsapp counterfeit news is another issue to be centred around. This is upsetting that individuals are moved by these phony news, harming guiltless lives. This is darker side of web-based social networking. Media probably won’t be exclusively answerable for it, yet absence of mindfulness is. Viable utilization of this stage to make mindfulness can maintain a strategic distance from such occurrences. Now and again political nearness enormously influences the self-governance of press. Media is intended to contact individuals without biasness. At the point when limitations forced, it may adversely influence the working of this body.It keeps a check and parity on government choices. Its self-governance is its quality, giving, it too, requirements to possibly be kept an eye on its activities.

It is as yet as amazing as it was before. Limitations have consistently been forced in past. It generally had a few downsides. Be that as it may, it ought to consistently serve the individuals, the individuals who really oversee. Media has consistently assumed dynamic job in covering numerous issues in past. It has secured touchy issues yet in addition brought and still carries our thoughtfulness regarding issues that we are either unconscious about or oblivious towards them. It has consistently been persuasive. In the event that it presents phoniness, that as well, is acknowledged by individuals. This is the place it has lost its actual sense and believably. It should adhere to its basic standards. Right off the bat, it should consistently table reality without outside impact. Also, it ought to abstain from advancing irrational stuff. It ought not overlook the intensity of pen. It is consistently the fourth mainstay of vote based system keeping a hold on working of other three columns the official, the enactment and the legal executive. We have seen in nirbhaya case how revisions occurred after the occurrences and in Nanavati case, how it, for some time, affected the legal executive. These cases would have gone unnoticed without media-support. Incredible elites have dreaded the intensity of media. Kailash sengar, primary charged BJP MLA in Unnao assault case, was removed out of the gathering after individuals shock and media pressure. This weight on influential individuals and political offices mirrors the quality of media. Yet, there exists nothing without defects. With such an impact and quality, it is still significant mainstay of our vote based system. We can see the critical change that it brought till date.

Why Australia is least affected by recession!!!

America’s economy is approaching a big milestone. If it keeps humming until July 2019, it’ll be the longest expansion in U.S. history. It would be exactly one decade and one month old by then. But there’s another country with an even more impressive run It’s even called the ‘lucky country’ Three big lessons from Australia.

Be smart.
Be organized.
Be lucky.

So, if I’ve got any advice for other countries, it’s try and be as lucky as Australia That luck has to do with Australia’s treasure trove of natural resources. You know Australia is on the other side of the world and sitting on tremendously valuable minerals right at the point where the Chinese economy is just around the corner and exploding. Australia and every one its natural resources were within the right geographic neighborhood even as the Chinese economy began to begin . And it just so happens that China did a big fiscal stimulus in 2008 and spent a great deal of money building new cities. So all of these resources were drawn from places like Australia. So that also served as a huge tailwind at a time when developed markets were in a whole lot of trouble.

The year 2008 was a time of economic turmoil The Global Financial Crisis hit and markets crumbled around the world. But as it turns out this was also a year for Australia’s economic management to really show off At the time the government had a very helpful and very low level of debt. One reason? Pension reform in the 1990s. Australia set up a compulsory retirement system called the superannuation system. It requires employers put money into its employees’ retirement savings.

Since companies and citizens have to build up retirement savings, some of the financial burden to pay off pensions was taken off of Australia’s government As other economies reeled in the wake of the 2008 crisis, the Australian Government was then able to put money directly into people’s bank accounts This boosted consumer spending in order to stimulate growth In 2008, the Australian Government unlike some other developed market governments actually jumped in very quickly with fiscal stimulus, so that helped to kind of minimize the effect of the crisis The country’s numbers continued to look sluggish after the financial crisis. But they never quite dipped low enough or for long enough to satisfy the definition of a recession. It takes two quarters of negative growth to fall into a recession. Australia’s economy did post a couple of negative quarters since 2008, but no country’s perfect. Overall Australia’s economy has been managed pretty much in recent years partly due to a robust and stable financial institution.

Australia has an independent financial institution and it is a very well-run financial institution . It also has a floating exchange rate and the exchange rate helped it adjust to international shocks. Australia’s economic reforms gave it flexibility in times of hardship. For example, floating the Australian dollar In 1983, Australia’s government moved the dollar onto a floating exchange rate This meant that the dollar would be valued by supply and demand instead of being subject to influence from its government or its central bank It allows the economy to react to shocks as well Typically when an economy is hit by some sort of negative shock. The currency will adjust. It will depreciate and that helps promote exports. Another reason behind Australia’s economic diary lies in its immigration policy. Since the late 1990s, Australia has seen growth in temporary migration, many arriving to the country on student or temporary work visas. The number of temporary migrants peaked in the year 2000. However a recent change to immigration law in 2018 gave visa applicants more hurdles to get through if they wanted to come to the country Even when our GDP per capital average incomes aren’t rising by much because the number of people continues to rise that means the total GDP continues to rise at even more rapid pace Part of that’s underpinned by much faster population growth Most experts think Australia’s economy remains strong in 2019, but it’s not without risks.

Australia’s suffering at the instant from pretty weak wage growth. That’s worrying a lot of people. There’s a lot of fear right now that China is hitting a wall. That will hit demand for Australian products. The good news is to the extent that the Chinese are buying commodities hopefully will find buyers from overseas for many of those commodities if the Chinese are not there The bad news is the rest of the world economy is not doing that well.

How television shaped our views on police

Television and media, the one source for early all people to tune to whether they need entertainment, news or anything else. It is a portal which connects us to others within the world. It is also a place from where we form most of our opinions. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, many are wondering not just in US but throughout the world as to why this chain of thoughts not grip us sooner. Why is it that most of the people were oblivious to the abuse of power police use throughout the world? One of the main reasons for this are cop shows and movies. Its usually because as individuals not many of us have much actual experience with the police. We form our opinions through the junk that is fed to us by the television.

It can be noted by anyone that most tv shows and movies far too readily show the cops as trustworthy and infallible, all the while undermining real life claims of systemic racism and abuse of power. There are many reasons for this, ranging from the money hungry producers simply chasing after TRP to negligence from the writers and directors about not showing realism within the shows. However one of the main reasons for this is that no matter whether it is a movie or a TV show cops are not only consulter during the making of such shows but are also aware that their portrayals impact public perception and thus have a vested interest in making sure that the portrayal stays positive. A 2015 study showed that viewers of crime dramas are more likely to believe that police are very often successful at lowering crime, use force only when necessary and misconduct never results in false arrests. Now part of it is due to the viewers human nature, everyone wants to believe that the people who enforce laws do so effectively and fairly so that we as citizen don’t have to take the burden. The shows and movies like Law and order or Singham and Dabangg show the cops using force only when they necessarily have to. They make it seem that bending the rules set in place to govern their misbehaving is the only way to keep the general populace safe. This is the power of such shows they make us believe that the only way the police can truly be effective is if they broke the rules that society created to protect us from the police. And the way they show mainstream cops bending the rules is by plain torturing a suspect who may have committed the crime. And showing that if the suspect hadn’t committed the crime it would serve as a deterrent from committing one in the first place. By that logic a parent should pre-beat their children to make sure that they do not stray to a bad path, but that is not the case. One has to realize that the cop shows are the only profession-based show where they show wanton unwarranted abuse of power as a good thing. However, beating a suspect in real life makes a person confess to a crime they didn’t commit. Which means an innocent was locked away while the real guilty party walks free. Beating a suspect to solve crimes has the same effect that washing a computer to remove a virus would have, sure the virus is gone but so is the computer.

What we do further is upon us but as Trevor Philips once said “The media and the government would have us believe that torture is some necessary thing. We need it to get information, to assert ourselves…… Torture’s for the torturer or for the guy giving orders to the torturer. You torture for the good times – we should all admit that. It’s useless as a means of getting information.”

Media in India: Politics of regulation in a time of false News

The media plays a pertinent role by providing information which is indispensable for two reasons. Primarily, it ensures that citizens formulate proper and updated views by analysing the authentic and genuine facts as provided by media. Secondly, it provides information as a “checking function” by guaranteeing that the chosen government and its representatives act upon electoral promises.

Media thus plays a central role since it is the single means through which public opinion is engendered. The stability of a country is assessed by the way the media report the news of that country. Thus, it becomes the obligation of the media to circulate only applicable and valid facts locally and globally.

The role of media has been changing from what it was perceived. The neutrality of news in reporting is missing in the mainstream media today because of the hidden agendas that many press and media outlets hold.

Media in India is mostly self-regulated. The existing bodies for regulation of media such as the Press Council of India which is a statutory body and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority, a self-regulatory organization, issue standards which are more in the nature of guidelines. Press Council of India established under the PCI Act of 1978 for the purpose of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.

Even though the Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, the government does regulate some media. Print media are largely unregulated, and newspapers and magazines can print nearly anything as long as they don’t slander anyone. The Internet has also gone largely unregulated, despite congressional efforts to restrict some controversial content. Broadcast media, however, are subject to the most government regulation.

Decision-making power in the Indian media regulation is fairly centralized, with the central Government and ministries making the final calls when it comes to new policies and appointments. Politicians have a keen interest in news media regulation owing to the high degree of political ownership in the sector. Thus, political and electoral logic shapes media regulation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the top of the decision-making list. Modi follows a centralized decision-making model with significant power allotted to his Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi has been a vocal advocate of the use of online media for political mobilization, participation and propaganda. Key influencers in the Indian regulation include Mukesh Ambani, chairman of the Reliance Group of Industries, Amit Shah, an MP and current president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Subhash Chandra, the chairman of Essel Group, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL), which owns The Times of India.

WhatsApp has become the platform of choice for politicians because of its massive reach that goes beyond a party’s loyal voter base, but also because of the lack of gatekeepers. Messages forwarded through the system have no context about where they originate, but benefit from the trust of coming from a contact . . one of the BJP leaders denies the spreading polarising content, but public WhatsApp data collected by analysts and anecdotal evidence show that Indians are being flooded with propaganda memes, much of it anti-Muslim and critical of the opposition Congress party.

In April smriti Irani’s ministry issued a circular saying that in order to fight the rise in fake news in print and electronic media, the government had decided that journalists who had complaints of creating/propagating fake news against them, would immediately have their press accreditation suspended.The following day, the Prime Minister’s Office asked her ministry to withdraw it.

Recently A picture of Vadra with the Chinese envoy. Both Republic TV and Times Now got excited enough over a picture of Robert Vadra to launch hashtags and primetime shows. Alt News had to give a video tutorial to Times Now and Republic TV to avoid such rookie mistakes. The picture was from a Chinese food festival that was also attended by India’s Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Sitaram Yechuri from CPIM, KC Tyagi from JDU and other leaders from BJP such as Tarun Vijay and Udit Raj. A quick google search could have avoided these channels the embarrassment though we suspect that they neither consider this as an embarrassment nor are they interested in the truth.

Similarly there was a statement attributed to Arundhati Roy – ‘’70 lakh Indian soldiers cannot defeat Azadi gang in Kashmir” . A fake statement made in a non-existent interview during a trip that never took place was enough to launch prime time debates on Republic TV and CNN News 18 attacking Roy. The fake news had originated from some obscure Pakistani website called times of Islamabad

What followed was attack on Roy by BJP MP Paresh Rawal and prime time debates on the topic. Arnab Goswami called Roy a “one book whiner wonder” and continued to rant about his favorite topic of Lutyens media and pseudo liberals. An investigation by The Wire revealed the truth behind the fake outrage fueled by the news channels and this piece by News laundry explored it further News laundry had republished an op-ed responding to Roy’s fake quote and it apologised for its editorial oversight and retracted the piece. There was no retraction or apology from Republic TV or CNN News 18 for attacking Roy based on fake news.

Indian media is grappling with many problems, but the country’s regulators fail to address them.

It took the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), a key player in India’s media policy, two years and seven months to release public data that had been officially requested in 2015 by TheHoot.org, a website mapping media ownership in India. The ministry said that such data couldn’t be released as it was “third party information.” The ministry’s argument was just tosh as media companies have to reveal ownership data to qualify for a license to operate.

The episode epitomizes the excessively bureaucratic, politicized and clientelistic media regulation in India whose decisions have negative consequences for news media operations

Decision-making in matters related to the Indian media is riddled with political influence, regulatory parallelism and clashes over jurisdiction, involving not only decision-making authorities but also industry players,

How news isn’t what we think it is

In todays age, we live in a techno-savvy generation from where we get our every information. And with all that has been happening throughout the world, I think we can all agree that it has been really hard to watch the news. Whenever we open our phones, we go through various apps that provide us with information, such as twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. But are they really a source of reliable news?

Think about it whenever one opens their device, they think they are in the know. But are they really, coz these days all news is various people shouting at each other, Trump calling various people bad names and the latest “trends” that modern day celebrities are following. That’s not news, its gossip. While we get a feel that we are up to date with various events that are happening, all that we are taking in is high-fructose bullshit. Because of the competition between various news channels, all they think about these days is TRP. So, the question arises where can we get a nutrient dense news supplement. The answer is local news, be it newspapers, sites or radio. They can be trusted because usually they do not have the funding of a political party or a politically affiliated person. Taking the example of Republic TV, the main anchor Arnab Goswami used to be a major news anchor who got famous due to his unique “style” of handling debates. He was often seen screaming at various correspondents who were called in however, he did that without an inherent bias. As soon as he was scooped up by Republic TV, his entire display of news changed. These days he can be seen showing only the stuff that seems to benefit PM Modi. This was inevitable due to them getting funding from BJP affiliated people. We can see major similarities between fox news and republic tv, both functioning with a mostly right-wing bias. So, one might wonder, if not right-wing, tuning into media houses owned by the left wing should do the trick. But that too is not the case as various reporters within to so called “secular” spectrum have skeletons of their own. One such example is Barkha Dutt, who has often been targeted by people due to her Anti-India ties. She was a reporter during the Kargil war and was responsible for the death of various jawans due to her reprehensible reporting of the locations of Indian troops. She also used the same tactics during the Pathankot and 26/11 attack. She has also been seen supporting Pakistan on various occasion. She has gone so far as to lament the death of terrorist Burhan Wani, calling him the son of a school headmaster. She has shown her true colours on various occasions such as siphoning money through ndtv and commit tax fraud. However due to her political backing and friends in high places where anti-india sentiments are shared, she is often left unscathed from her blatant misuse of power to undermine India.

So, as we can see neither of such channels and media outlets can be trusted. hence the call for unbiased news sources is the need of the hour.

Rajya Sabha to form an informal group of MPs to discuss challenges posed by social media- Vice President

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today advised media to provide more coverage to the substantive work being done by the parliament rather than only focusing on sensational remarks or disruptive behavior by some members.

Presenting the first ‘TVR Shenoy Award for Excellence in Parliamentary Journalism’ to veteran political journalist Shri Vinod Sharma, Shri Naidu called the press as the extension of parliament as it holds the elected representatives accountable to the people whom they represent.

The Vice President called the parliamentary committees as a beautiful system within our parliamentary system. All members discuss and debate there constructively as there is no media glare, he said.

However, Shri Naidu expressed concern that the Chairman of the several parliamentary standing committees now complain of only one third of the members attending the meetings on an average. This is a worrying trend, he said. He also said that he is planning to write to all political parties regarding this.

The Vice President called the role of a parliamentary journalist of critical importance, as people form their opinions based on the information provided by the press. With this information, they analyze and evaluate the performance of their elected representatives and the government.

Therefore, VP urged the media to not color news with views and stressed the need to maintain objectivity, fairness and accuracy in reporting. “Impartiality and objectivity of press is of supreme importance for a democracy to survive and flourish”, he said.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, who described journalism as ‘service’, Shri Naidu expressed concern over politicians and business groups setting up newspapers and TV channels. “This erodes the credibility and core values of journalism”, he observed.

He also called upon media bodies to come up with some sort of self regulation to ensure that credibility and reliability of press remains steadfast.

Highlighting that press fought hard for its freedom, the Vice President called for using this freedom judiciously. He also drew media’s attention towards its responsibility to provide people correct information and educate them on their rights.

Further, Shri Naidu appealed to media to demystify parliament’s procedures and work, insisting that “people should be able to understand parliament’s functioning in easy and friendly language”. This will inspire them to become active stakeholders in the political processes, he opined.

Talking about the growing volume of parliamentary data, the Vice President felt a need to invest more in creating infrastructure, tools, capacity and skills for ‘data smart’ journalists.

“A good data journalist can help the citizens better understand the institution of parliament”, he said, adding that this may also improve the output of MPs as they would become more aware of their performance.

Shri Naidu also advocated for unhindered access to the important information generated by parliament on a day to day basis in a user friendly format.

Calling the people’s ‘right to know’ as a vital component for an informed society, Shri Naidu called for a good working relationship between the parliamentarians and journalists. If their relationship becomes too adversarial or too close, it would undermine the public’s ‘right to know’, he added.

Talking about the impact of social media on the institution of parliament and parliamentarians, VP said that it enables MPs to reach their constituencies directly and is also a good medium for obtaining public feedback.

However, he also cautioned the parliamentarians to be aware of social media’s potential to spread fake news and misinformation. In this regard, he called for the creation of a system of checks and balances to curb the possible misuse of social media by anti social elements.

In this regard, Shri Naidu said that Rajya Sabha will form an informal group of MPs to discuss various challenges posed by social media, such as the spread of pornographic content.

He expressed worry that this trend on social media is misleading the children and posing the biggest challenge to Indian values by devaluing our age old family system.

Appreciating the initiative by Prof. K.V. Thomas Vidyadhanam Trust to institute an award to honour late Shri T.V.R. Shenoy, Vice President said that Shri Shenoy was an illustrious journalist and editor who served the public cause through his writings for five decades.

I also congratulate Shri Vinod Sharma, Political Bureau Chief, Hindustan Times on being conferred first TVR Shenoy Award for Excellence in Parliamentary Journalism.

Shri A.K Antony, former Defence Minister, Prof. K.V. Thomas, Chairman, Trust, Dr. Omcheri NN Pillai, Chairman of Jury and Smt. Sarojam, wife of late Shri TVR Shenoy were among the dignitaries present at the event.

Following is the full text of the speech –

“Dear Shri A.K Antony Ji, former Defence Minister

Priof. K.V. Thomas, Chairman, Trust,

Shri Vinod Sharma, Political Chief of Bureau, Hindustan Times

Dr. Omcheri NN Pillai, Chairman of Jury

Mrs. TVR Shenoy

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am very happy to be among you on this special occasion of presenting the TVR Shenoy Award for Excellence in Parliamentary Journalism.

Friends,

Shri T.V.R. Shenoy was an illustrious journalist and editor who served the public cause through his writings for five decades. A reporter par excellence, he wrote extensively on issues ranging from politics, economy to international affairs and wars.

In early nineties, his investigative journalism led to the expose of several banking and stock market scams including the Harshad Mehta scam.

Shri Shenoy was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2003 for his services to the nation.

I appreciate the initiative by Prof. K.V. Thomas Vidyadhanam Trust to honour late Shri Shenoy by instituting an award in his name.

I also congratulate Shri Vinod Sharma, Political Bureau Chief, Hindustan Times on being conferred first TVR Shenoy Award for Excellence in Parliamentary Journalism. Shri Sharma is a very familiar face to me as he has been reporting on the parliament for more than 25 years.

Dear friends,

The importance of a parliamentary journalist can not be overemphasized in a parliamentary democracy.

Our parliament debates and discusses various issues of national importance everyday.

It is a place where major policy decisions are taken.

It is the place where governments form and collapse.

It is the source of valuable political ideas and points of view.

And the people as important stakeholders in democratic process have a right to know how parliament is functioning, what it is discussing and debating.

They want to know what their elected representatives are saying or doing.

A parliamentary reporter has crucial responsibility of reporting all of this to the public.

People form their opinions based on this information provided by the press. With this information, they make up their minds whether or not to support a candidate in next election …. They analyze and evaluate the performance of their government.

That is why the role of a parliamentary journalist assumes critical importance in the way he decides which issues to publicise or what angle to give to a new story. His work and orientation plays an important role in scrutinizing the functioning of the parliament, government and the oppostion.

That is why press is often called as the extension of parliament. It holds the elected representatives accountable to the people whom they represent.

Therefore impartiality and objectivity of press is of supreme importance for a democracy to survive and flourish.

Friends,

Time and again, I have urged the media to not color news with views and stressed the need to maintain objectivity, fairness and accuracy. The neutrality and sanctity of newsrooms should be upheld at all times.

Our Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who was an eminent journalist is his own right had said that, –

“I realized that the sole aim of journalism should be service. The newspaper press is a great power, but just as an unchained torrent of water submerges whole countryside and devastates crops, even so an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy. If the control is from without, it proves more poisonous than want of control. It can be profitable only when exercised from within.”

But today we see even many politicians and business groups setting up newspapers and TV channels. With these mediums under their control, the reporting can become distorted. This erodes the credibility and core values of journalism.

Therefore, I feel that media bodies need to come up with some sort of self regulation to ensure that credibility and reliability of press remains steadfast.

Friends,

The cardinal principle of journalism is to present fair, objective, accurate and balanced information to the reader and viewer without journalists assuming the role of the gatekeepers. This is particularly true while reporting on a political controversy. Rather than opining which argument is the strongest, a good political reporter should lays out all the arguments and facts without bias, and let the people take a decision on the relative merits of the arguments.

Dear friends,

Press fought hard for its freedom and this freedom should be used judiciously. Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees to the citizen, the right to “Freedom of speech and expression”. With regard to parliamentary privileges also, press has full protection as long as reporting is true, without malice and for public good.

However, freedom and responsibility cannot be considered as inseparable. There can not be unfettered freedom without any responsibility.

The media has the onerous responsibility to not only provide unadulterated and correct information, but also educate the people on their rights as well.

Friends,

When it comes to reporting on the parliament, media has one more special responsibility.

It should uncode and demystify parliamentary proceedings and procedures to the larger public. People should be able to understand parliament’s functioning in easy and friendly language.

I appreciate that many news organizations are already doing good work in this direction, specially while reporting the budget, but more needs to be done.

Many parliamentarians do a lot of research and put forth their views in the parliament. This should be covered more extensively rather than only some sensational remarks or disruptive behavior.

This will enable a deeper understanding of the functioning of Indian parliamentary system among the masses inspiring them to become active stakeholders in the political processes shaping the destiny of their lives and the nation.

I suggest that similar efforts need to be made with respect to the growing volume of the parliamentary data.

Friends,

Recently, I saw a new story titled as ‘Rajya Sabha records 90% productivity in first week of winter session’.

This is the power of data.

A good data journalist can help the citizens better understand the institution of parliament. The members of parliament may also become more aware of their performance. The output may improve as a consequence.

Therefore, I feel that there is a need to invest in creating infrastructure, tools, capacity and skills for ‘data smart’ journalists.

At the same time, there should be unhindered access to the important information generated by parliament on a day to day basis in a user friendly format. This would help masses in gaining better understanding of the functioning of Parliament, participation of MPs and various legislative proposals under consideration.

Dear friends,

For a democracy to thrive, it is desirable that there should be a good working relationship between the parliamentarians and journalists.

The media on one hand, communicates parliamentary activities to the citizens, and on the other it also provides valuable feedback on public opinions.

Thus media creates a two-way flow of information which is vital for the healthy functioning of democracy and good governance.

Dear friends,

If this relationship between the parliamentarians and journalists becomes too adversarial or too close, it would undermine the public’s ‘right to know’.

And this ‘right to know’ is a vital component in our quest for an informed society and informed democracy.

This is important for empowerment of our citizens.

But at times it is observed that adjournments and commotion tend to make news rather than substantive debates on important issues.

Therefore, I would urge my friends in media to not focus on sensationalism and ‘bite journalism’ and impartially report the multiplicity of views expressed by Members in the parliament.

Friends,

In the end, I come to the impact of latest technological developments – such as social media – on the institution of parliament and parliamentarians.

It is true that social media has enabled parliamentarians to reach their constituencies directly, bypassing journalists. Social media also provides a good medium for obtaining public feedback.

But, the parliamentarians have to be aware of the pitfalls of the social media which has tremendous scope to spread fake news and misinformation. We need to create a system of checks and balances to curb the possible misuse of social media by anti social elements.

Dear friends,

In the end, I once again congratulate Shri Vinod Sharma for the prestigious award.

Wishing you all the best.

Jai Hind!”

*****

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this:

Rate this: