Media needs to introspect, say researchers

Gagandeep Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 16

Observing the present scenario of media, particularly electronic media, in the country on the occasion of National Press Day, the media researchers in the city believe that the media has been losing its ground and credibility among 

the people. 

They are also of the opinion that the time has come that media should stop acting like PR companies and mouth pieces of political parties and start raising the issues concerned to the people. 

Speaking to the Jalandhar Tribune, Dr Kamlesh Singh Duggal, Head of Department, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, GNDU Region Campus, Jalandhar, said, "The present scenario with the media has been growing to be propagandist and misleading. The newspapers are doing much better job than electronic media."

Quoting the present situation of Punjab, he said, "The coverage of Punjab issues in the National level electronic media has been marginalised, whereas the issues of the other states were raised 

vehemently."

"However, the social media has come as biggest tool of expression for the people, where people have been representing themselves than trusting upon the mainstream media", he added. 

On the other hand, Dr Simran Sidhu, Head of Department, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Doaba College, believes that debates over the social media do not reach at any conclusion. 

She said, "It has been observed that the issues discussed on the social media are remained dangle d midway."

She said that the time has come for the media, especially the electronic to stop behaving like a PR Companies and introspect itself to provide the balanced information. 

The post graduate department of journalism and mass communication of Doaba College, Jalandhar, also organised a national seminar 'Is India becoming intolerant?' on the occasion of National Press Day and World Tolerance day. 

Prof Chaman Lal of JNU, Delhi, graced the occasion as key speaker. He said, "Today is a historic day because Kartar Singh Sarabha was martyred at Lahore. The current youth of the country should 

follow the footsteps of Kartar Singh Sarabha and Bhagat Singh to achieve glory in life." Chander Kant, RSS Pracharak, said, "It is often thought that India is becoming in tolerant these days but it is a hard fact that India is still a tolerant country even today. Mahatama Gandhi is the best example of India's tolerance because he taught the whole world his novel 

theory of Ahimsa or non violence."