KOCHI: Former Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday presented the P S John Endowment Award to actor Mammootty. The award has been constituted in memory of the late P S John, a veteran journalist with Malayala Manorama and former president of the Ernakulam Press Club.
Speaking on the occasion, Antony asked journalists to uphold the values and dedication shown by yesteryear journalists. He said the current generation of journalists might not be able to do justice to their news reports as they are always after ‘breaking news’. Journalists of the past used to file news reports that were genuine and based on facts. “They would crosscheck the matter several times with multiple sources to ensure the credibility of the reports. External forces should not influence journalists,” Antony pointed out. Meanwhile, Mammootty donated the `10,000 cash award to the Press Club’s health insurance scheme ‘Medi Press’.