Unyielding media strong ammunition against corruption, says Minister

Media Day programme in Gadag

An unyielding honest media is a strong ammunition for fighting corruption, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil has said.

He was inaugurating the State-level Media Day programme organised jointly by Karnataka Media Academy and Gadag, Haveri, Dharwad and Koppal branches of Department of Information and Public Relations in Gadag on Saturday.

The Minister said media had to take up the task of opening the eyes of the government by responding to the grievances of the people. “Journalists should be guardians of people’s trust. Journalism is not just a profession but a commitment. Journalism will receive appreciation when it places society’s wellbeing as its top priority.”

Mr. Patil said the media played a major role in forming public opinion on various issues and that was the reason why it was considered as the fourth pillar of democracy. He also recalled the contribution of Gadag district to media mentioning the names of various publications that served the social cause for many years pre- and post-independence.

Commitment crucial

Delivering the keynote address, senior journalist Gabriel Vaz said commitment was crucial for journalists. “Journalists should develop the habit of reading other newspapers and books of various fields. They should also try to read newspapers of other languages”, he said.

Clarifying that the Press did not have any special status in the Constitution, Mr. Vaz said that freedom of expression was the same for both the general public and the media.

Emphasising the need for self-regulation for media and journalists, he called on journalists to restrain from publishing baseless reports. He also asked them to make use of technology including Internet and social media for more comprehensive reports. “But considering ongoing developments in the field, journalists need to introspect”, he added.

President of Karnataka Media Academy M. Siddaraju spoke about the activities of the academy. Member of the Academy B. Venkat Singh welcomed the gathering. Secretary S. Shankrappa compered the event. Assistant Director of Information S. Ranganath proposed a vote of thanks.