Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan will inaugurate the ‘media protection day’ observance, under the auspices of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, as part of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday.
The CITU has declared solidarity with the observance. State general secretary Elamaram Kareem said in a statement here on Saturday that the media being the watchdog of democracy, even minor dissensions in this sector could impair smooth discharge of its functions in an effective manner.
The salary of journalists and others working in media organisations should be duly protected. It was with this end that the architects of the Constitution framed the Working Journalists Act. With the corporatisation of the media sector, those supposed to guard democracy had also started worrying about profit and loss.
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He said wage boards were being sabotaged. Contract appointments were becoming the norm. Those opposing such decisions were being transferred to remote places. There is no job protection in the visual media and employees are being exploited, Mr. Kareem said. — Special Correspondent