“Just as the advent of technology led to growth in various sectors, journalism too had expanded its horizon with advent of new media and has encompassed everyone’s life,” Chairman of Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash has said.
Inaugurating the two-day national conference on “New Media and Development” and Media Fest organised by the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Karnatak University here on Monday, he said that the advent of new media had led to opening up of new vistas in the field of journalism too.
Referring to a survey, Mr. Surya Prakash said that before the opening up of the economy and globalisation, the circulation of daily newspapers in the country in 1990 was 22.60 million and it has touched 296.30 million in the last 25 years.
While economic reforms had their share in it, the growth rate in literacy from 30 to 75 per cent too contributed a great deal, he said. The new media had given rise to citizen journalism and thereby increased the news flow.
Speed up development
While the digital technology in the journalism had erased the boundaries of communications and news, the revolution of information would also speed up development, he said.
Referring to the misuse of technology for producing concocted and doctored reports, Mr. Surya Prakash highlighted the need for an ethical framework for new media. “The industry stalwarts should take the initiative of drafting a new content code for digital media if undue intervention of Centre/State government is not to be invited. In addition, regulations by setting up a regulatory board also can assuage the ill-effects of the social media,” he further said. Presiding over the inaugural session, Vice-Chancellor of Karnatak University, Prof. Pramod Gai, said that the new media should focus on uplifting the life of the people and progress of the society. Lauding the functioning of Dharwad AIR, veteran journalist Patil Puttappa said that Doordarshan had become a “Ghost Chamber” and lacked programmes that aided creativity and national integration.
Around 250 students from 15 universities and degree colleges are participating in the event, where 45 papers would be presented. As many as 10 competitions would be held as part of the Media Fest.
