SHIMOGA: There was a systematic campaign to tarnish both judiciary and the media in the country. The Government is trying to control the media. The media is doing something that is being reflected with the pulse of the people, opined Prabhu Chawla, editorial director of The New Indian Express.Delivering the late Shri Kateel Appu Pai Memorial Lecture on ‘Media- A Hidden Persuader’, organised by Manasa Trust in Shimoga on Sunday, Prabhu Chawla said that the agenda of the media was to deliver perfect news and not fiction. “We are reporting the agenda of others, but not ours and how can the media be a hidden persuader,” he questioned.The duty of the media was to report what’s happening in the society. Quoting the example of Amar Singh, he said yesterday’s heroes had turned to zeros and zeros had become heroes overnight with the help of the media. Unlike in the past, the role of the media had increased and even social media too had become stronger and significant, he added. Denying that the media was a hidden persuader throughout his lecture, he said it was a visible and physical persuader of the society.Defining the role of the media, he said it had to perform and to ensure credibility check and recheck the news before it reached the readers. There was no other field other than the media where life, credibility of journalists was scrutinised. Before publishing a report, the journalist had to cross check the report on six Ws, namely, who, what, where, why, how and when, he added.Further clarifying the role of the media, he said it aimed at what’s influencing a change, perceptions and behavior that was reflected in the society.“We (media) do not have any agenda on which we work. No media got any advertisement revenue that projected widely in the movement of Anna Hazare, a real hero of the society,” he said. Stressing the need for strong media support to the civil society movement, he said, Anna Hazare movement got support from both print and electronic media that again expressed sentiments of the people.He opined that fake or yellow journalism did not last long as it was not based on professionalism and being objective in its approach. Quality of news and paper reflected the kind of journalists working for the newspaper. These days, its hard to find a good and professional journalist, he regretted.He said, instead of increasing the petrol price, the government should think of taxing the capital gains.On the occasion, senior journalist C Sitaram was felicitated on being awarded Madyama Academy award. Managing Trustee of Manasa Trust Dr KA Ashok Pai, Dr Rajani Pai and others were present at the programme.
Comments
0 comment