Experts attending a workshop on ‘Freedom of Expression of Journalists’ here on Friday said journalists who face challenges while reporting an issue could tackle their problems with the active support of their media fraternity. Inaugurating the workshop organised by the Report on Reporters (RoR), a newly-formed forum of journalists for sharing information and experiences related to human rights, Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Chairman-in-Charge Justice BK Mishra said the journalists should report truth without any fear. “If their intention is good, people and other organisations will spontaneously help them,” said Justice Mishra.
The media professionals who attended the workshop said attack on journalists is on the rise in the world. They started discussions from the terrorist mayhem at Paris weekly Charlie Hebdo’s office to attacks on rural journalists of Odisha by mafias and the police. The experts like senior journalist Jatin Das, Basudev Mohapatra and Ajit Panda suggested the reporters to work unitedly in the field with a pro-people intention to create fear among the persons who want to attack on mediapersons. “If journalists raise their voice in union, we hope they can avoid several challenges coming their way,” said the journalists.
When the reporters suggested Justice Mishra to open a Human Rights Defenders cell at the OHRC office here, he said the proposal cannot be implemented due to acute shortage of human resources in the commission office. “But we are committed to help the human rights defenders and reporters who face human rights violations while discharging their duties,” Justice Mishra said.