Leading a discussion on the role of media in modern India, Venu Rajamony, press secretary to the President, said that the Indian media hardly represent the problems of the downtrodden and are obsessed with three Cs - Crime, Cricket and Cinema.
The discussion, organised by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), was attended by distinguished journalists including T V R Shenoy, Gouridasan Nair and K M Roy. In his keynote address Venu Rajamony stressed that Indian journalists enjoy great experience, resources and environment.
However, they are caught in a web of drastic changes that are engrossing media organisations across the world. Intrusion of technology, tabloid sensationalism, extensive surveillance by the government, conflict with criminals and corrupt authorities, blurring lines between news and advertisement and increasing corporate control over newsrooms affect objective reporting in India, said Venu. He said that under these circumstances the media should take steps to report issues that matter to the poor.
Speaking at the seminar, veteran journalist and popular columnist T V R Shenoy cautioned against the ‘illicit connection’ between media and the corporate.
“Journalism is not a profession, but an industry now. It’s looking out for nothing but profit,” he said. Senior journalist Gouridasan Nair said that media, especially broadcast media, suffers from mediocre reporting.
“Broadcast media do not have the time to pause for a moment and ponder over issues. They perhaps wake up to the news of actress Manju Warrier’s comeback movie in the morning, sliding of rupee in the afternoon and some verdict on solar case by the evening. They have to handle all these issues on the go, with half-baked knowledge and expertise,” said Gouridasan.
Deliberating on the idea that media destroys the investor-friendly climate of the state, senior journalist and columinst K M Roy said that media cannot be blamed for the lack of investment in Kerala. “For the industries to flourish, the mentality of Keralities should change,” said K M Roy.