Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has cautioned the media against breaching the standards of ethical and independent journalism and urged the Fourth Estate to be a beacon light of uprightness and objectivity.
Paying tributes to Veteran editor and writer, late Gora Sastri at his centenary celebrations here on Saturday, the Vice President emphasized that difference of views and opinions must always be tempered with and find expression through dispassionate discourse.
Reminding the audience of fiercely independent journalism pursued by Gora Sastri and the powerful editorials written by him, Mr Naidu said he was recalling those instances to underscore the importance of independence and fearless journalism, which is seen more in its absence today.
”All around us in the present scenario we find news fused with opinion, thus making it challenging for us to glean news from views and arrive at a considered opinion or conclusion. The real picture gets blurred behind a smokescreen of half-truths and obfuscations”, he added.
The Vice President expressed his concern over the degeneration of values in various fields, including journalism and emphasized that news should not be mixed with views. He advised journalists to leave the final judgment to readers and not to give judgments themselves.
He also wanted journalism courses to include lessons on the lives of great journalists.
In paying tributes to Gora Sastri, all of us here are recollecting the contribution of one of the great writers of our times to have adorned the pages of the history of journalism, and a giant worthy of emulation by media persons of all hues, the Vice Presiden said.
Earlier, the Vice President released the book “Vinayakudi Veena’, a collection of articles penned by Gora Sastri.
The Secretary of Sahitya Academy, K Srinivas Rao, the President and Secretary of Veteran Journalists Association, G S Varadachari and several prominent senior journalists were present on the occasion.
(UNI)
