Naidu on media: Avoid sensationalism, present facts

Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 21

Emphasising the key role of a free and fair press in a vibrant democracy, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu today said certain practices have crept into journalism when news is being treated with interest of sections of promoters and political leanings.

Naidu was addressing a gathering at the Vice-President House in New Delhi, after presenting the NR Chendur Jagati Award for journalism to the CEO of New York-based Gizmodo Media Group, Raju Narisetti, who edited the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

He said, unless those engaged in the profession work towards it, the issue of regulating media would continue to be debated. He said hallmark of good journalism is reportage based on facts and devoid of sensationalism.

He recounted the work done by veterans in the field and the contribution of Ram Nath Goenka who stood as a bulwark against the internal emergency period between 1975-77 or the reports that led to unearthing of Bofors payoff controversy.

On his part, Narrisetti mentioned that while India has jumped in the ease of doing business by several places, the country fell to 136 in the world press freedom index some 12 spots, even behind Afghanistan. He also mentioned that the killing of Gauri Lankesh added to the list of 13 such murders of journalists worldwide that remained unsolved.

The award is instituted in the memory of Telugu magazine, Jagati’s founder-editor, N R Chendur, by his family and friends in collaboration with Chennai-based Amarjeevi Potti Sreeramulu Memorial Trust.