Mandi, 16 November (Hindustan Reporter). On the occasion of National Press Day, a district level program was org.zed in the auditorium of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today. It was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Apoorva Devgan. A seminar on the changing nature of the press org.zed by the Press Council of India was also org.zed on this occasion in which senior correspondents of various newspapers and media houses based at the district headquarters expressed their views.
Inaugurating the seminar, Deputy Commissioner Apoorva Devgan said that the press is considered one of the four pillars of democracy. From the independence movement till present, journalism has played an important role in the upliftment of the nation. Media has also made a valuable contribution in preserving and promoting Indian values. Congratulating the press representatives for their efforts, work and achievements in the upliftment of every section of the society, he said that today’s day also inspires them to work while sticking to the high values and principles of journalism.
He expressed confidence that senior journalists will not only share their experiences with their young colleagues but will also transmit the legacy of values of journalism to them. He said that media has been playing an active role in providing factual information to the people. In the era of modern technology, the role of media becomes even more important in providing correct information to the people amidst mis-information and dis-information.
Participating in the seminar, senior journalist Murari Sharma said that today we are living in the era of technological explosion and the continuous flow of information has emerged as a challenge. At the time of independence, journalism developed as a mission and the soldiers of the pen also played a notable role in liberating the country. After independence, it took up the responsibility of conveying the picture of the country’s development to the people, but with the changing times, journalism became increasingly dominated by commercialism. In such a situation, many types of challenges have come before the journalists also. Senior journalist Dharam Prakash Gupta said that in the changing times, the biggest challenge is how to make the press more socially responsible. He said that journalism has seen many changes in this journey from factual news to information. In today’s era of breaking news, the press faces a constant challenge of maintaining credibility.
He said that in today’s era, local news has gained prominence especially in print media, but there is also a challenge to preserve the value of news. He also stressed the need to further strengthen the editorial institution. Senior journalist Munish Sood from electronic media said that at one time TV, radio and selected newspapers were the traditional mediums of obtaining information. At present the use of digital media has increased gradually. He said that the press has entered the era of artificial intelligence and data journalism and with the trend of trending news, doing journalism on real issues has become a challenge.
