THANE: Local journalists staged a protest outside the Thane Municipal Corporation headquarters against MNS functionary Avinash Jadhav for allegedly using derogatory language against media personnel during a public rally, and demanded an apology.
The protest followed an October 9 demonstration by Opposition parties over deteriorating law and order in Thane and the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar.
During the rally, Jadhav alleged that some journalists were "sold" and published news favouring leaders of the ruling parties while ignoring pressing issues.
Members of the Thane City Journalists Association on Monday staged a protest outside the civic body office here against Jadhav's remarks and demanded an unconditional public apology from him, asserting that the insult to the fourth pillar of democracy will not be tolerated.
Jadhav was unavailable for comment in the matter.
The protesters emphasised that journalism is a vital pillar of democracy responsible for raising public issues, highlighting injustices, and holding authorities accountable, stating that branding the media as "paid media" directly damages journalistic integrity.
While acknowledging that disagreements and criticisms regarding news coverage can exist in a democracy, the association stressed that such criticism must be factual rather than targeting the entire profession with insulting terms.
It also condemned the alleged manhandling of journalists by Delhi Police during coverage of youth-led protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
