Highlighting the crucial role of the media, Union Ministers Virbhadra Singh and Sriprakash Jaiswal, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit asked the fourth estate to exercise extra care in reportage, as the rush to break news was hitting its credibility.
They asked the media to always check the authenticity of any information they may publish, as a mere apology cannot undo the damage done.
“The increased competition that we are seeing in the media industry, especially the electronic media, is affecting the ethics of news gathering. The damage that wrong reportage does cannot be undone by a simple apology,” said Singh, the Union Steel Minister.
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Echoing his views, Dikshit said mediapersons should not forget to check the authenticity of any information in the rush to break news in today’s competitive environment.
This was especially important as the media was the fourth pillar of democracy and its reports played a significant role in moulding public opinion, she said, inaugurating the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of PTI , organised by the Federation of PTI Employees’ Union.
Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Coal, said the media has a key role to play in the development of a nation.
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“It is in this context, the role of news agencies like PTI is critical. Given their reach, they can help keep people and institutions informed, while serving to build a healthy and progressive society,” he said.
Emphasising the need for the media to present a free and fair picture of any event, CPI-M leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami lamented that scandals and violence were attracting more coverage, while peace and developmental events were being ignored.
Earlier, PTI CEO and Editor-in-Chief, M. K. Razdan, outlined the agency’s growth story since its launch in 1949 and said that PTI was today an essential news source for most Indian newspapers and television channels.