Chairperson of Press Council of India disapproves of media’s obsession with celebrities. Calls for more responsibility
It is time the media—be it the press or the broadcast media—take up the responsibility of fighting social injustice and use the freedom of the press for something apart from just sensationalism based TRP building, according to Justice Markandey Katju, chairperson of the Press Council of India.
Katju was addressing a seminar on media and its responsibilities, organised by the All India Small and Medium Newspapers Federation.
“Today some celebrity getting pregnant, Rahul Dravid’s retirement or Rajesh Khanna’s death takes precedence over all other news. Even as people are dying of hunger, preventable diseases and lack of water, the media instead of addressing these issues are giving them a circus,” he said.
Recalling the recent North-Eastern crisis when thousands left Bangalore city, Katju said the media should cover these issues with responsibility. “It is sad that so many from the community left the city after hearing rumours. Every Indian has the right to live in any place in India and that is a constitutional right,” he said, adding, that incidents such as what happened in Bangalore and what happens in Maharashtra will affect the unity of the nation.
“The only way we can keep the nation together is by not fanning the flames that break apart our unity,” he said, adding, “If we do not understand this and continue to allow it, the entire nation would break into fragments.”
India is passing through a transitional period and the media has to stand up to its responsibility of guiding the people, Katju said.
Broadcast media to be brought under PCI
Katju also said that he would be writing to the President to bring TV and other broadcast media into the ambit of the PCI. “The ethics of journalism applies to the broadcast media too and they should also be brought into the PCI. We should be the Media Council of India and not just the press council,” said Katju.
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