From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the threat to the mainstream media comes not from the new age digital platforms, but rather from the mainstream media channels, by inviting guests who polarise by spreading false narratives and shout at the top of their lungs to damage the credibility of the channels.
“Your decisions regarding the guest, the tone and visual define your credibility in the eyes of the audience. The viewer may stop for a minute to watch your show, but he will never trust your anchor, your chanel or brand as a trusted and transparent source of news,” he said.
Stressing that such polarising debates pull down credibility of the TV channels, the minister said journalists are duty bound to report news without fabrication by presenting the truth and letting all sides the platform to present their views. He asked them to redefine and set the terms of the channel and the guests instead of harping on the soundbites.
Posing prodding questions to the audience the Minister asked “Are you going to watch as the younger audience switches and sweeps through the shrill on TV news or are you going to bring back the Neutrality in news and discussion in debates to stay ahead of the game?”
He was inaugurating the 47th annual gathering and 20th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). He credited the AIBD leadership during the COVID pandemic for keeping the member countries connected online and maintaining a constant dialogue on how media can mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
Underlining that media, in all its forms, has immense ability to shape public perceptions and perspectives as an effective tool of empowerment, he said: “It is imperative to create an enabling environment for our journalists and broadcasters friends for making the space of media more vibrant and rewarding.”
The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was established in 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO. It is a unique regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development. It is hosted by the Government of Malaysia and the secretariat is located in Kuala Lumpur.
