Ujjain: “Market forces will continue to get offensive and add to pressure, but the one, who understands better the aspirations and expectations of common people, will only be considered as real journalists,” Press Council of India member and senior journalist from Delhi, Rajeev Ranjan Nag said here on Sunday.
Nag was speaking at symposium “Values and challenges before media”, which was organised by Prajapita Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya at Shivdarshandham Harmony Hall, Ved Nagar. He further said that the fourth estate (media) may lose its credibility if it continues to put market forces on priority. “Today, priorities of news appear to be aggressive and rude… we are not thinking beyond VIPs and celebrities… we rather trying to shy away from listeners and common man who are in fact the ‘fifth estate’ of the democracy and looking at us with some hope… if we still fail to maintain our accountability, days are not far away when we will be rejected by the society,” the Press Council of India member said.
Nag was of the opinion that despite challenges, pulls and pressures by the market forces, society, musclemen, media house owners and job security, the journalists will have to work continuously. They, thus, should try to avoid diversions and additional tensions. “Don’t try to go against the market forces… get slightly serious… try to maintain sustainability between personal and professional challenges… though television industry is an effective medium, yet the Indian society still trusts print media,” he said.
Senior journalist from Indore, Kamal Dikshit said that if media persons are experiencing flood of challenges in present time, it was only due to their wish to make journalism as career. “Journalism should be used as an instrument for social transformation and it will in turn serve values as well,” he opined. Those expressed views on the occasion included Brahmukumari Hemlata and Usha Bahan (both Indore), BK Sushant (Delhi), Somnath Vadnere (Jalgaon) and Rajesh Rajore (Khamgaon) (both Maharashtra). Anita Didi conducted the proceedings and Sandeep Kulshreshtha proposed the vote of thanks.
