Media persons played important role in educating people, mitigating impact of COVID-19: Kovind

New Delhi, November 16 

Media persons have been among frontline corona warriors who played an important role in educating people and mitigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday.

In his written message on the occasion of the National Press Day, the president also appreciated the Press Council of India (PCI), which regulates the print media, for safeguarding the independence of the press.

"I am happy to learn that the Press Council of India is celebrating National Press Day on November 16 on the theme 'Role of Media during COVID-19 and its Impact on the Media'.

"Rendering its service for nearly 55 years, PCI has been the watchdog safeguarding the independence of the press while trying to ensure quality journalism. Its role is important in the working of our democracy," Kovind said.

The president said the theme of this year's National Press Day celebration deals with the most serious crisis facing the world and India.

"In dealing with the issues concerning COVID 19, media has played a very important role in educating people and thereby it has helped in mitigating the impact of the pandemic.

"Media persons have been among the frontline corona warriors. Through PCI, I convey my appreciation to such media persons," Kovind said.

Media doing exceptional work in spreading awareness against COVID-19, is valuable stakeholder: PM

The media has been doing exceptional service by spreading awareness against COVID-19 and has acted as a valuable stakeholder in helping the government in its initiatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on the occasion of National Press Day on Monday.

Be it positive criticism or highlighting success stories, the media has been continuously adding strength to India's democratic ethos, the prime minister added in his written message on the day, being celebrated virtually with a webinar organised by the Press Council of India.  

“From creating mass awareness about important issues to contributing to a behavioural change in society for the larger good, we have seen how the media as a valued stakeholder has furthered the efforts of the government and helped many initiatives like Swachh Bharat and water conservation grow into mass movements in the last few years," he said.

Amit Shah greets media on National Press Day    

Union Home Minister Amit Shah greeted journalists on the occasion of the National Press Day on Monday and said the Narendra Modi government is committed towards the freedom of press and strongly opposes those who throttle it.

Any attack on freedom of the press is detrimental to national interests: Vice Prez      

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that any attack on the freedom of the press is detrimental to national interests and should be opposed by one and all.

He also said that democracy cannot survive without a free and fearless press.

Naidu made the remarks in a video message at a webinar on 'Role of media during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on media" organised by the Press Council of India to mark the National Press Day. 

He said press in India has always been at the vanguard of protecting and strengthening the foundations of democracy. 

"A robust, free and vibrant media is as important as an independent judiciary in consolidating democracy and strengthening constitutional rule of law," the vice president opined.

At the same time, Naidu advised the media to be fair, objective and accurate in its reporting. "Sensationalism should be avoided and the tendency to mix news with views needs to be curbed. Also, there should be greater space for development news in our reporting," he said.

"Democracy cannot survive without a free and fearless press. Therefore, any attack on the freedom of the press is detrimental to national interests and should be opposed by one and all," he said.

The vice president also praised print and electronic media journalists for turning into frontline warriors in the wake of COVID-19 and ensuring non-stop coverage of all the happenings, unmindful of the grave risks associated with the pandemic.

"My deepest appreciation to each and every journalist, cameraman and others, who have been striving constantly to disseminate news and information," he said.

Naidu also stressed the importance of conveying the right information at the right time in a pandemic, "especially when there is a plethora of fake news".

Pointing to the need to guard against unverified and unsubstantiated claims, the vice president said media has a huge role in educating the masses in this regard.

He also conveyed his condolences to the families of the journalists who succumbed to coronavirus.

Referring to the adverse impact of COVID-19 crisis on the media industry, he said it has led some newspapers to curtail their editions and go digital. 

"There have been unfortunate instances of employees being laid off in both print and electronic media," Naidu said.

Stating that journalists should not be left "high and dry" in these difficult times, the vice president appealed to all stakeholders to come together and find innovative solutions to the extraordinary situation created by the pandemic.

Observing that the pandemic has underscored the need for media organisations to adopt flexible and resilient business models, Naidu pointed out that more and more people were staying at home and increasingly relying on the media and the entertainment industry for the latest information and to fight the isolation caused by a lack of social interactions.

Citing the huge popularity of the re-telecast of teleserial Ramayana and Mahabharata as an example, the vice president suggested to the media industry to tap into increased audience base and explore alternative ways to improve its financial health. PTI 

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