PANAJI: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar asked journalists to focus on the ‘positive' aspects of news even as he insisted that he was not one to harass journalists for writing opinions that were contrary to his.
Referring to an incident where he was asked whether Children's Day should be ‘delinked' from Nehru, Parrikar said that such questions were symptomatic of "an extreme sense of negativity in the media"
"Why it (the question) was required? Why negativity? Why should there be negativity in everything? Bring positivity about. Nehru did several good things for children. So, let it be in the name of the person. So what if he was from the Congress. Today's Congress is not the same as that time... I am not going into that," Parrikar said.
His view was however countered by keynote speaker on the occasion Girish Kuber, Editor of Loksatta who said that the raison d'etre of independent news media is to be critical of the government.
"There are many mechanisms of the government to talk positive about the government like the Department of Information and Publicity and the central government's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which has an annual budget of ₹11,000 crore," Kuber said.
"Media's job is to question the establishment and seeing how the system is failing to address various problems afflicting people. Historically we have been doing that. If it is going to be positive news then why does one need journalism? Kuber asked.
Earlier in the programme, Parrikar had said that news was often distorted, and while contrary opinions were welcome, facts were sacred.
"Print news that is true. Don't distort the news. You have the right to criticise in an editorial. But when a journalist writes fake news despite knowing so, then I believe he is sacrificing his principles," Parrikar said.
"News should be news and news should not have views. If you want to give views, you can present it as an analysis. But if something has not happened and someone prints it as if it has happened, I think that is the biggest disservice," he added.
Parrikar said that he had a track record of never having harassed journalists.
"I differ with you, but I will fight to the last for your right to differ with me. This sentence is inscribed deep in my heart. Harassing a journalist from a newspaper just because he is upset with me, if someone is harassing him and he wants justice, he will always get it from me," he added.
Kuber during his brief talk said that journalism faced challenges in the form of newer technologies forcing journalists to adapt to remain relevant, journalists sacrificing professionalism at the altar of their ideologies and the lack of commitment and integrity in the profession.
Referring to an incident where he was asked whether Children's Day should be ‘delinked' from Nehru, Parrikar said that such questions were symptomatic of "an extreme sense of negativity in the media"
"Why it (the question) was required? Why negativity? Why should there be negativity in everything? Bring positivity about. Nehru did several good things for children. So, let it be in the name of the person. So what if he was from the Congress. Today's Congress is not the same as that time... I am not going into that," Parrikar said.
His view was however countered by keynote speaker on the occasion Girish Kuber, Editor of Loksatta who said that the raison d'etre of independent news media is to be critical of the government.
"There are many mechanisms of the government to talk positive about the government like the Department of Information and Publicity and the central government's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which has an annual budget of ₹11,000 crore," Kuber said.
"Media's job is to question the establishment and seeing how the system is failing to address various problems afflicting people. Historically we have been doing that. If it is going to be positive news then why does one need journalism? Kuber asked.
Earlier in the programme, Parrikar had said that news was often distorted, and while contrary opinions were welcome, facts were sacred.
"Print news that is true. Don't distort the news. You have the right to criticise in an editorial. But when a journalist writes fake news despite knowing so, then I believe he is sacrificing his principles," Parrikar said.
"News should be news and news should not have views. If you want to give views, you can present it as an analysis. But if something has not happened and someone prints it as if it has happened, I think that is the biggest disservice," he added.
Parrikar said that he had a track record of never having harassed journalists.
"I differ with you, but I will fight to the last for your right to differ with me. This sentence is inscribed deep in my heart. Harassing a journalist from a newspaper just because he is upset with me, if someone is harassing him and he wants justice, he will always get it from me," he added.
Kuber during his brief talk said that journalism faced challenges in the form of newer technologies forcing journalists to adapt to remain relevant, journalists sacrificing professionalism at the altar of their ideologies and the lack of commitment and integrity in the profession.
