Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Jan 30: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde on Tuesday January 30 said that while society was becoming intolerant, media was slowly becoming corrupt, and that corruption was not an individual's fault but of the society.

He was addressing 'Media Manthan- 2018', a day-long conference on 'Media in Neo-Liberal Democracy: Many Challenges' organised by the department of Journalism and Mass Communication was inaugurated at St Aloysius College here.

Justice N Santosh Hegde, who is also a former judge of the Supreme Court inaugurated the conference along with Fr Dionysius Vas, rector, St Aloysius Institutions, Fr Praveen Martis, principal, St Aloysius College and Fr Melwyn S Pinto, HoD, MA (JMC), St Aloysius College.

Addressing the gathering, Santosh Hegde said, "The subject of the conference is important because of two reasons. First, the society has become intolerant. Secondly, the demon of corruption is slowly gripping the media. The society expects truth and facts from media, but somewhere, even the media is involved in creating conflict among the people. We all know the media is the fourth estate of our democracy, but it needs to have equal opportunities to function like the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. There is no absolute freedom of speech. Articles 124 and 21 of the Constitution - sedation and defamation - put some restrictions on absolute freedom. With this in mind, we enjoy our freedom of speech.

"The three pillars of our country are labeled as corrupt these days. It is affecting all of us. Corruption is not an individual’s fault. It is the fault of the society. People who go to jail get bail easily and are welcomed with garlands. Media should expose the motive of people behind this instead of creating hype.

“Everything is under influence of commercialisation. Media faces tough competition in the society, due to which false things are highlighted many a times. With every passing day, human values are decreasing in the society as well as media. Hence all you students of journalism should not betray human values and go under pressure of commercialisation. The voice of poor, exploited and suppressed should always be upheld,” he said.

Fr Praveen said, "The theme for the conference has been aptly chosen by the organizers. Our society needs independent media. People expect social justice and highlighting of real issues. Competition, commercialization and one sided perception are the main challenges for journalists. These issues stop them from supporting the truth or becoming the true voice of the society."

In his presidential address, Fr Dionysus said, "If we learn what neo-liberalism is, it is very easy to know its consequences. The parameter of Indian media changed when foreign capital started to flow into India. Foreign capital established a capitalist and corporate society in India. When media houses owned by corporate world started to function, the entire theory of media changed. Due to this, majority of journalists are just a staff of media houses and do not have freedom to keep forward their own views. Media houses are imposing their perception on the society. It is a very dangerous trend. So journalists should try to overcome all these challenges. They should be more democratic."

Fr Melwyn S Pinto welcomed the dignitaries and gathering.