Media must question those in power, asserts DyCM

Mangaluru: Deputy chief minister C N Ashwath Narayan exhorted journalists not to give undue importance to political reporting, in that it does not help the common man beyond a point. Political reportage is wrapped in grandiose sloganeering that does not translate into any tangible benefit for the common man and even politicians in their effort to be ‘politically right’ and give sound bites, that does not help the society much, he said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the 35th state journalists conference under the aegis of Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, here on Saturday. He admitted that juicy political developments tend to catch eyeballs, and few easily relate to the same. “But how does this help society?” he questioned, exhorting the media to develop a tendency to question those in power.
“No one in a democracy should be beyond questioning,” he said.
Espousing the state government’s commitment to the media to help them discharge their duties more effectively, he said the government is ready to give all the necessary technical help to the media in this regard. “The government will consider any proposal that KUWJ has for the welfare of the journalists in the state,” he said, adding he will personally take up these proposals with chief minister B S Yediyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio.
Admitting that the media is working in an environment where it is yielding to market dynamics, he said the media perhaps would have been better off independent of such dyanmics, that would have allowed it to be a voice of the masses.
While a lot of good is happening in society along with the bad, only the latter tends to get highlighted, he said, exhorting journalists to uphold values and ethics in these challenging times.
Sandhya S Pai, managing editor, ‘Taragna’, in her keynote address, said that journalism should be a religion rather than a industry, and become the voice for issues of the country.
While the decline in readership of both periodicals and dailies is a cause for concern, she said it is in such times that media houses must collaborate while competing ,and not exult at the demise of a rival publication. There is place for all publications even amidst competition, she said.
D Veerendra Heggade, dharmadhikari, Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala said discerning quality in readers and viewers has only increased the responsibility of media houses in what they report.
The guests that included minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari, honoured the host association, DKWJU, for being the best district association in the state. The ministers also inaugurated a photo and cartoon exhibition on the occasion. Shivanand Tagadoor, president of KUWJ, welcomed the gathering. MLAs Vedavyas Kamath, U T Khader, Y Bharath Shetty, mayor Divakar, deputy mayor Vedavathi and office-bearers of KUWJ were present.