“Societies built on good governance, a strong civil society, and an open and free media are more prosperous, stable, and secure,” Robert Burgess, U.S. Consul General in Chennai, said.
Addressing journalists and students of journalism at a panel discussion on “Digital Influence on Traditional Media,” organised by the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai at the American Centre, he highlighted the importance of press freedom to democracy. “Never doubt the great importance of your work,” he stressed. The discussion was organised on Wednesday to mark National Press Day.
Several important topics were covered in the discussion, ranging from the influence of political parties and individuals on media houses to issues like fake news circulated on social media, and sensitisation to the same. The entire discussion was conducted with a special emphasis on the impact of digitisation of the press. The panelists also stressed the importance of critical curiosity in the profession.
Alexis Wolff, information officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, moderated the discussion. Panelists included S. A. Hariharan, senior anchor at Thanthi TV, Ramanathan Subramanian, partner, thenewsminute.com and Bindu Bhaskar, professor at Asian College of Journalism.
