Nagpur: “We have neglected the psychological aspect of politics. People who are in power have moulded the mentality of citizens in such a manner that ‘bure din’ (bad days) are here. They have forgotten and are dismissing the agony Babasaheb Ambedkar went through in his struggle against inequality,” said senior journalist Ranjit Meshram at the 100th year anniversary of Ambedkar’s first newspaper, ‘Mooknayak’, organized by a city-based news channel.
Eminent personalities from the field of journalism, namely, co-founding editor of The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of News Nation, Subhash Shirke and managing director of Awaaz India TV, Aman Kamble were present at the event held at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar auditorium, Deekshabhoomi.
“Ambedkar was a selfless man who committed himself to the betterment of the society. In his fight against disparity, he had to overcome many obstacles,” added Meshram.
Varadarajan raised concerns over the current scenario in the media. “In today’s times, the commodification of media is evident in the society. Ambedkar was a journalist who strongly disagreed with sensationalism. Today, when you switch on news channels, you will see roaring debates with anchors instigating panellists to use harsh words. Such portals function more for entertainment purposes than to broadcast news,” he said.
Encouraging youngsters to step into the field of media fearlessly, he said, “This domain requires only one qualification and that is the passion to ask questions. If we stop asking questions, journalism along with democracy will submerge.”
Shirke rued the lack of representation of journalists from minority communities. He said, “We need voices and decision makers who can raise issues of minorities or ethnic groups that have been repressed. The dearth of Dalit representation in news channels is a cause for concern.”
Through a video clip, journalist Aarfa Sherwani shared her thoughts on various issues. “The big propaganda of the big media run by big money has failed due to the emergence of alternative media. The right to dissent in a democracy is being suppressed. This issue is being highlighted by alternative media portals,” she said.
In his introductory speech, Kamble said, “When Ambedkar came out with Mooknayak, casteism was prevalent in the society to such an extent that the newspaper Kesari refused to publish an announcement about such a revolutionary newspaper. In the current scenario, we can see similar circumstances. Today, journalism is totally in the hands of the government or industrialists.”
Eminent personalities from the field of journalism, namely, co-founding editor of The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of News Nation, Subhash Shirke and managing director of Awaaz India TV, Aman Kamble were present at the event held at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar auditorium, Deekshabhoomi.
“Ambedkar was a selfless man who committed himself to the betterment of the society. In his fight against disparity, he had to overcome many obstacles,” added Meshram.
Varadarajan raised concerns over the current scenario in the media. “In today’s times, the commodification of media is evident in the society. Ambedkar was a journalist who strongly disagreed with sensationalism. Today, when you switch on news channels, you will see roaring debates with anchors instigating panellists to use harsh words. Such portals function more for entertainment purposes than to broadcast news,” he said.
Encouraging youngsters to step into the field of media fearlessly, he said, “This domain requires only one qualification and that is the passion to ask questions. If we stop asking questions, journalism along with democracy will submerge.”
Shirke rued the lack of representation of journalists from minority communities. He said, “We need voices and decision makers who can raise issues of minorities or ethnic groups that have been repressed. The dearth of Dalit representation in news channels is a cause for concern.”
Through a video clip, journalist Aarfa Sherwani shared her thoughts on various issues. “The big propaganda of the big media run by big money has failed due to the emergence of alternative media. The right to dissent in a democracy is being suppressed. This issue is being highlighted by alternative media portals,” she said.
In his introductory speech, Kamble said, “When Ambedkar came out with Mooknayak, casteism was prevalent in the society to such an extent that the newspaper Kesari refused to publish an announcement about such a revolutionary newspaper. In the current scenario, we can see similar circumstances. Today, journalism is totally in the hands of the government or industrialists.”
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