The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) observed Vigilance Day on Wednesday to call for an end to increasing threats to media persons, using the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and other “outdated” legislation.
“Such threats, veiled and not so veiled, on issues such as Rafale deal constitute dangers to both the freedom of the press and journalists on the eve of national elections. DUJ condemns these statements made by not only the Attorney General but subsequently by various ministers and others, said a joint statement issued here by DUJ president SK Pande and general secretary Sujata Madhok.
A meeting was also held on the occasion which decided to write to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding a ban on all sorts of pre and post poll surveys and consider them as paid news.
“As professional journalists, it is evident to us that such surveys are manipulated to favour certain political parties at the expense of others,” the statement added.
The meeting also demanded that the ECI should set up a separate mechanism to deal with paid news in electronic and digital media in addition to strengthening the existing machinery to check the menace of paid news in the print media.
The meeting felt that the time was ripe for a White Paper on misuse of mass media in the past five years as well as various kinds of attacks on journalists including vicious trolling. Also, it felt that the Union Government should take cognisance of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission Report 2006 which suggested that the OS Act should be substituted, particularly after the enactment of the RTI Act.
The meeting urged all political parties to heed the DUJ demands including the setting up of a Media Council, a Media Commission and a new wage fixation machinery for the entire media, including the electronic and digital media. (UNI)
