The media should always publish factual news courageously. It should not have commercial motives. Each person working in this sector should do his duty conscientiously. Publication of ambiguous and extremely sensitive reports should be strictly prohibited.
Noted speakers expressed these views at a function held on the occasion of the National Press Day-2015 at the Jayadev Bhavan here on Monday.
The function organised on behalf of the National Journalists’ Welfare Board (NJWB) was graced by Union Minister Jual Oram, State Excise Minister Dr Damodar Rout, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Information and Public Relations Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Justice AS Naidu and NJWB national president Deepak Malavya. NJWB State president Pradosh Patnaik was also present.
On this occasion, 17 senior journalists were given pensions and eight scribes, including The Pioneer chief editor Chandan Mitra, were conferred with Rashtriya Sambadik Gourav Samman-2015. Besides, senior journalist Barendra Krushna Dhal was honoured with Utkal Sambadik Ratna Samman.
Ashok Kumar Mohanty, a student of the Utkal University, was conferred with Rabinarayan Mahanty Smaraki Samman and Manas Ranjan Panda, a student of the Utkal University of Culture and honoured with Gopal Krushna Smaraki Samman.
Health insurance policies were distributed to senior journalists and their family members. Besides, prizes were distributed to winners of various competitions.
A seminar on ‘Impact and importance of opinions published in form of cartoons’ was conducted. Samay editor Satakadi Hota, Sambad editor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi, MlAs Priyadarshi Mishra and Bijay Mohanty, Doordarshan’s Sudhanshu Sekhar Dhada and Sun Marg’s Ashok Panda attended the seminar. Amit College director TN Mohanty coordinated the programme.
NJWB State general secretary Pradyumna Mohanty proposed a vote of thanks. Cultural programmes marked the conclusion of the day.