Media, apparently on a death wish of its own, is also being murdered!!!

Not only the Indian media is committing suicide at one level, on another, it is being assassinated, if what has been happening over the past few years is any indication, was the consensus at the National Media Day celebrations held in Bangalore on Saturday.

Former Union Information and Broadcasting & Law minister and former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, the Chief Guest at the event, a man of letters, reeled out uncomfortable facts (attacks on journalists, number of journalists killed, instances of fake news, cases against journalists) to paint a grim picture of intense pressure on the profession and its practitioners. And this has been building up over the past few years, the former Union information and broadcasting minister said on a day when the nation celebrates National Media Day.

On this day, the country got its Press Council of India and is celebrated as National Media Day. In Karnataka, the event was organized by the Karnataka Media Academy (KMA) in association with the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Karnataka government.

It was only appropriate that none other than Moily himself was present as the Chief Guest at the venue, that he was involved in the creation of Karnataka Media Academy, to speak on a subject he was very well versed as he was engaged with the media as the minister in charge and then later as Law minister was involved in the drafting of laws, rules, and regulations that govern part of media operations.

Addressing the congregation of media practitioners, from veterans to media students from different media institutions spread across Bangalore, and Karnataka, on the theme of the day’s deliberations – Changing Nature of Press – the veteran Congress leader lamented that the media was committing suicide by what it was doing, the changes it brought upon itself, perhaps willingly, and later went onto add that over the last few years, the media has stopped asking questions to the powers that be. And those who dared to question the government have been either silenced or edged out of the profession, the former Union Minister said and added that India continues to slide in the global freedom indices and on press freedom and was racing to the bottom of international rankings.

The veteran leader called upon the young media persons to be, even as students of the great profession, to inculcate in themselves the ability to ask questions to the power boldly and without any fear or favour. “You are the ombudsman of the nation,” Moily said to the audience comprising journalism and mass media students and the media academia from various institutions.

The press should play its impartial role and for this, it must be ready to act fearlessly, he said and added this is the biggest challenge facing the media today.  “More than the soldiers who are guarding the borders of the country, you in the media are, as guardians of freedom, protecting democracy in the country. The Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and choice but are you enjoying the unfettered freedom that the Constitution provides, he questioned the media and alerted the media students to the challenges up ahead as they get into the profession.

Another challenge the media faces today is that the press is not found necessary by the prime minister to interact and inform, and to that extent, the press is deprived of information. And like the PM, now the ministers and bureaucrats are also doing the same, adding to the challenge that the media increasingly faces.

Earlier speaking on the theme in the Keynote Address, Dr  A Narayana of Azim Premji University, felt that the print medium was not dying but it was committing suicide. But one thing the students of media and journalism must realize and remember is that the media will not die, it will exist and even thrive, and the craft will remain the same. So, mastering the craft and sticking with the good canons of journalism that include fairness, being just, and being brave to put out the story truthfully, and objectively without bias, fear or favour is the real job of a journalist.

Concurred Ayesha Khanum, Chairperson, Karnataka Media Academy, who has had experience as a state correspondent with a national and international perspective working for and with national media television channels. In her brief opening remarks, she said that he would limit herself to just mentioning the theme as there were specialists and veterans to listen to. But her advice to the students of media was to persist with perfecting the art and craft of the profession and arming themselves with all the qualities that make for a good journalist – as even though undergoing stress now, the profession continues to be a powerful medium to do good to a lot of people. But despite all that was happening, she said, it was shocking that young media persons were obsessed with memes. “With the advent of digital media, people are more focused on Memes. They get the election details through memes. This level of Journalism can’t be accepted,” Ayesha added.

Hemant P Nimbalkar, IPS, and Commissioner, Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka, said that the media will eventually find its feet and rediscover itself and resurge. It is a matter of time. For the present, the media is in a cusp position, and the young students are particularly facing a tough time during this period. But the good news is that the youth and the media will find a way to become better, more relevant, and forceful, he said addressing the gathering. Using wit and humour, Nimbalkar brought the house down with his sharp observations and telling punches.

Expressing the hope that the media will get back to its original values, he said “All is not lost. Media is at the cusp of a change. Digital media is the future technology, and this will give a platform to the young journalist.

Tracing the history of the press from mythological times, when Narad Muni represented what can be described as the modern-day journalist as he fuelled news and added “sensation” to his news dissemination. Coming to the current day trend in advertorials, he felt it may do a little more good to writers than bad, as it can become a revenue source. “But it cannot be journalism,” Nimbalkar declared.