12 Sep : The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the media should educate the people towards their duties while promoting value-based journalism. He said that the media has an instrument role to play in constituting a value-based society. He was addressing the national meeting of governing board of Indian Media Centre here today.
Shri Chouhan said that the media should suggest measures to strengthen the society and uphold the virtuous deeds. He said that the approach to and perception of social issues in the right context is important. Patriotism is supreme. The media must promote sense of patriotism, which is above all political commitments.
The Chief Minister said that the pre-independence day journalism is starkly different from that in the post-independent era. Freedom from the foreign rule was the only mission. After independence, development journalism grew up while during emergency, journalism stood for civil liberty to strongly advocate democratic values. He said that the today journalism has to commit itself to socio-economic concerns of the society while facing tough competition in the market economy. He said that the newspaper cannot be a commercial product as it has to maintain objectivity and be completely free from bias. He said that people are supreme and they lay foundation of society and prescribe norms for themselves.
Shri Chouhan said that the chastity of human values must be maintained in the age of information revolution. He said that the India’s rich cultural heritage is composed of sublime thoughts that have universal value. The noble principles should not be surrendered to market forces. He said that the India’s philosophy and approach to life is the only solace in the chaotic age of materialism.
The Chief Minister said that the media should develop among people an emotional inclination towards the strengths of India and its culture.
Head of Indian Media Center Shri Chandan Mitra said that values in journalism will come from the understanding of India’s value system. It is imperative to orient the society about India’s glorious past and traditions. He said that India is a corridor of unique culture and civilization in the South East Asia and the new generation need to know this. He said that the glorious history of India needs exposure to young minds. He stressed the need to intensify efforts for promotion of Indian values to halt the process of erosion of values. He suggested including the glorious parts of history in educational texts.
Director of Indian Media Centre Shri Shyam Khosla said that the Centre aims at thwarting the threats to journalism from parochial views about ideologies and impart training and orientation to the upcoming journalists about the importance of values in journalism.
Vice Chancellor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism Prof. Braj Kishore Kuthiala, convener Shri Ramesh Sharma, former head of Indian Media Center Shri P. C. Dogra, members of governing body and media representatives were present.