NEW DELHI: With the role of media coming under scrutiny amid proliferation of fake news, editor of Thuglak, S Gurumurthy on Tuesday suggested a complete ban on social media while addressing a seminar here to mark National Press Day.
Calling it anarchic, Gurumurthy said social media poses a risk to “everybody’s image, national security and national interest”.
Some of the participants in the seminar, organised by the Press Council of India, disagreed saying while measures need to be taken to check the circulation of unverified information, a complete ban on social media would not be an appropriate step to check the spread of misinformation.
In an audio-visual message, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also called on the media to curb fake news.
“National Press Day is a day to reflect upon the role of media and the press in raising the issues that matter to the citizens of India. The media is a watchdog and has a key role to play in the vibrant democracy of India.
“On this day, I call upon my friends from media to make all efforts to curb the menace of fake news and fake narratives. The government on its part has taken measures like establishment of fact check unit at Press Information Bureau which has gained popularity,” he said.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said the role of media in providing authentic and unbiased news and information assumes huge importance in present times.