Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran has urged media persons not to play the role of ‘hunters’, as parallel trial by media occasionally crosses all limits of fair journalism.
Delivering the Pamban Madhavan memorial speech at a function organised by the Press Club here on Monday, Mr. Ramachandran said that as a well-wisher of journalists he was concerned about some of the unhealthy tendencies among the media persons and the media.
Referring to a reported statement of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan that he was being hunted by the media, the Minister said that such grievances should be taken seriously. Even when the media persons worked to expose wrong-doers, they should not be seen as targeting individuals.
Acknowledging the role of the media in unravelling many corruption scandals in the country including the 2G spectrum scam, he said the media should be independent and should not compromise. However, the practice of holding parallel trials in the studios of TV channels on issues that had undergone examination by even the Supreme Court sometimes created situations where even contempt proceedings were possible.
Though the media in general had played a prominent role in highlighting the movement of Anna Hazare, it largely downplayed the irregularities reported about some of the members of Team Anna, the Minister said. The media was also unwilling to include itself under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill, he noted.
The unhealthy tendencies found among journalists included acceptance of favours from the rich for various functions of media persons, he added. Commitment was an important element of the journalistic career in the past when journalists such as Pamban Madhavan had worked, the Minister said.
Today reflections of commercialisation were felt in the media field as well, he observed.
The Minister later presented the Pamban Madhavan Memorial Award instituted by the Press Club here to M.B. Santhosh of the Kerala Kaumudi. Kerala Union of Working Journalist district president K.N. Babu presided. KUWJ State general secretary Manoharan Morayi and district secretary C.K. Kuriachan were present.
