Senior journalists and social activists on Sunday expressed sheer unhappiness that many media oganisations are not following ethics, which is essential for building a good society.
“The ethics of journalism are not being practiced in many web portals, news TV channels and in some newspapers in the country. With personal agendas, these organisations are influencing viewers or readers towards their clients and attorneys,” rued speakers at a media conclave, Communique’16, organised here by the Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB).
Hindu Reader’s editor AS Panneerselvan, NDTV editor and principal anchor Vishnu Som, Thatscoop Media Pvt ltd’s Vikrant Shanbhag and Barkul Foundation founder Sujit Mahapatra spoke on the theme, “Ethics in media: The thin line between reporting and influencing”. Sambit Patra of the XIMB presided over the conclave.
“Journalism is the immediate weapon to change the world. Reporting is totally different than influencing. Nowadays, some unethical media practices are influencing journalism for which many negative developments are being seen in the society,” said Patra.
Panneerselvan lamented that people have been spending more moneyin viewing TV channels but are hesitant to spend comparatively a low amount of money to read newspapers.
“In the information disseminating process, TV channel carriers are getting 90 per cent of people’s total spending while newspapers are getting 10 per cent. Media is in crisis now. Fund resource has remained a challenge for media houses for a decade now,” he said.
He, however, stated that some of the media houses are practising ethics to present news in a fair manner.