Media credibility matters to uphold its sanctity
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 19 2018 -

Media today no longer is just the fourth Pillar in the running of parliamentary democracy.

It is today an indispensible pillar of parliamentary democracy. Even the Judiciary these days believe in the power of Media.

That is the reason why the four high profile top justice of the Supreme Court - the highest court of the country comes out and brief to the media just some few days back.

First time in the history of the country, the four top judge of the Supreme Court - Justice J. Chelameswar, Justice R. Gogoi, Justice M. B. Lokur and Justice K. Joseph brief the media about the problem of Supreme Court.

The last word Justice J. Chelameswar told the media is that it is the people that will decide on the issue.

Leaving aside the controversial issue surrounding over it, the main motive of this editorial is to remind all our fellow citizens the emerging power of media.

It is today an indispensable pillar of democracy.

Everyone knows that those reported or views in newspaper or electronic media cannot be even an exhibit to the court of law until the report was accompanied by materials demanded by the court.

Reporters reporting the specific news and the editor need to give their statement if the very report has to be submitted as exhibit of a certain case.

On the other hand media does not have any legal power punish or judge a person on his act. Neither is it bestowed with power like any statutory body of the government.

And above all there is nothing called “absolute Freedom” to anybody including those in the media and the expression through media is bounded by certain self regulatory mechanism called code of conducts or ethics.

Then how comes media today become an indispensable pillar of democracy?

Well, it is the sacrifices and integrity of those who are working in this profession that media today has been emerging.

It is because the journalists of yesterday who keep on following the code of ethics of journalists and many today who still is governed by these code of ethics that media is emerging as the only indispensible platform for all citizen.

If the journalists of today follow the path of the journalists of yesteryears in term of maintaining the code of ethics, media will continue to uphold its status in the coming days.

However, a mere mistake or say unethical practice for self gain will only leads to the devastation of this profession. People of tomorrow will lose trust to the media.

So it is important that journalist today follows the code of ethics.

Some in this field today started selling themselves and acted as according to the desire of those paying them which is not ethical at all.

Some started creating debate in the interest of few groups particularly for some specific political party.

The kind of development is not a good signed for the future society.

Everyone in this profession needs to follow the code of ethics of journalists because it enhances credibility, reliability and reputation of the media.

This will also ensure freedom and responsibility besides giving professional satisfaction and most importantly it will limit the government intervention.

As for the state of Manipur, many people now started talking about media’s nexus with government as many have stopped acting on the ground reality.

The credibility is at stake with the submerging of people’s trust to this unit.

These are understood by everyone working in this profession knowingly or unknowingly.

It is time that we in the media change our way of working and started focusing on our objective of being in this profession.

It is only through this means that media can become more credible in the coming days.

And without credibility people will lose trust and media of the state will become another mockery.