Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday rued the falling standards of credibility in journalism, asking journalists to guard against loss of credibility.
Parrikar, while speaking at a function organised to mark the death anniversary of lokmanya Tilak, also said that journalists should get intimidated by his earnest arguments.
“Don’t just take photos and publish. Seek some clarification. The credibility of a report should be guarded. This is most important thing to be maintained by the fourth estate,” Parrikar said.
The former Defence Minister also said, that falling standards in credibility of new reports was evident to him thanks to a unique method of keeping tabs on media stories.
Parrikar said that news stories which expose lacunae in governance were marked and sent to respective government departments for inquiry. In 2002, he said, in around 75 per cent of the news report findings which were inquired into, were factual.
“From 75 per cent in 2002, the credibility of the news report is now at 50 -55 per cent,” Parrikar pointed out, adding that lack of credibility was a “wrong practice is creeping into the newspapers here”.
Parrikar, who has had a chequered relationship with the media, when he was posted as Defence Minister, also said that media persons should not mistake his habit of getting into arguments, as intimidation.
“However much I fight there is no malice. It is to correct. I say what I feel, some people say chief minister is trying to pressurize. Don’t get pressurized if I argue with you. The argument is not for pressurizing, but the argument is to put across my view point. I have this habit…” he said.
“Many times I have changed my viewpoint, but I put up my view point very firmly and strongly across. Don’t worry about. Keep doing your work,” Parrikar added.