In an era where every other person on this earth has started acting like a news feeder and commentator on subjects at his will and choice, questions on authentication of news and its trustworthiness have emerged as one of the greatest challenges in modern times of journalism’ was the outcome of entire discussion during a event organised by Prabhat Khabar at its 34th Foundation Day on Monday on media and challenges before it.
Noted journalists, including The Pioneer’s Chief Editor Chandan Mitra, senior journalist Rahul Dev, senior journalist, columnist, writer and former Editor (Hindustan) Mrinal Pandey, The Wire founder-Editor Siddharth Varadrajan, The Telegraph Roving Editor Sankarshan Thakur, Siyasat Managing Editor Jahiruddin Ali Khan and Prabhat Khabar Chief Editor Ashutosh Chaturvedi on the dais and many others off the dais believed that the speed in news was thrilling, but was equally killing for the industry as a whole.
Between two extremely opposite poles of optimism and pessimism in modern challenges of media, where it was heading and how it could remain relevant in changing times like these, almost all of them were also unanimous with the fact that corporate taking over media houses and government not comfortable with another side of the story were also emerging challenges before media industry.
“I believe the core challenge before today’s media is to cope up with pace of changes in consumers of news. It is a tough task to walk together with them, and, of course, tougher task and one of the biggest challenges in between remains keeping some of the core values of journalism intact,” said the Mitra.
“The problem is that every second person appears to have become a journalist, photographer and commentator with advent and advancement of social media in country. Be it twitter or facebook or any other online social platform, everyone is visibly commenting on every other issue. It is not bad, too. But what it has done is that thousands of unauthenticated news come floating everyday from anywhere and everywhere,” said Mitra.
laying foundation of the discussion, Prabhat Khabar Managing Director KK Goenka and Chief Editor Ashutosh Chaturvedi stressed upon editorial and revenue related challenges before print media, especially before newspapers like Prabhat Khabar and how it had been facing ad foiling those challenges from various sides.
“It is fact that the most challenging time for media ever has been the emergency days four decades ago. It is equally true that there is no chance today for starting a media venture on yesterday’s business model. We will have to find some modern business model like The Wire has found. Media houses, and a large section of audience too, are not comfortable listening to anything against the establishment. But most important fact a remains equally vibrant and vivid that good newspaper will always outlive a bad government,” said Rahul Dev.
Varadrajan said that the media had remained more pro-government in past than these days. “But we find a level playing field for media today despite bombardment of newspieces every other minute. The good thing is that hiding information has become almost impossible these days. But bad thing is that there has emerged organised effort of misleading campaign, that also supported by governments and their shadow wings. The situation is not as bad as is being perceived. What print doesn’t to hide or hides is being exposed by new media,” said Varadrajan.