Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RS/SB)

Mangalore, Nov 17: Journalists should not misconstrue respect shown by the people as fear for they deserve respect for the responsible work towards the society, said J Krishna Palemar, district in-charge minister at a seminar organized as part of Rashtriya Patrika Dinacharane organized by district information department in association with district administration on Monday November 16.
 
Inaugurating the seminar at Information Department in city on the subject `Role of Media in Maintaining Social Harmony’, Palemar said that the journalists and media in general have the responsibility of maintaining harmony, whereas the owners of media companies should be responsible while publishing or telecasting news. The news presented with responsibility has the right impact on the society, he said.
 

Deputy commissioner V Ponnuraj said that besides professional ethics, the media needs to view an issue in a positive angle as far as sensitive places or incidents are concerned. Each news story has several angles while reporting such as negative or positive, yet one needs to stress on social angle with much responsibility when a sensitive issue is being reported, he said.
 
Resource person of the seminar, former journalist and administrator of Amritha College, Tharanath Kapikad said that media reporting is not the only one that has to be blamed for disturbing social harmony but several other methods of communication such as SMS too are responsible. He lamented that ethics in journalism has taken a backseat in the unhealthy competition that exists between media houses.

The people’s editor policy which is followed in foreign countries will bring in justice through hearing of public grievances and thus give justice to readers, he said adding that there is a need of law along with ethics to be followed by the media houses and also journalists. Yet the said law should not curb the right of freedom of press.
 
Mayor Shankar Bhat said that a small number of people in media involved in biased-journalism and set no limit to sensationalize news or a minor incidents. Sometimes the media reports without knowing the facts, which in turn misinforms the readers. The aaction of passing judgment before the issue or an alleged person is produced before the court or reported to the police station, calls for strong ethics in place, he said.
 
MLA N Yogish Bhat, presiding over the function said that some problems in the field of journalism too may arise similar to virus attack in computers. But in both the cases corrective measures can be taken. It is seen that some of the newspapers involve themselves in negative reporting, yet the brilliant readers gauge its reliability observing the nature of the media, he added.
 
Rohini K, district information officer welcomed all and Guravappa Balepuni conducted the programme. Information department staff Louis proposed the vote of thanks.