Justice Katju blames electronic media for North East exodus

-Thetimesofindia:
BANGALORE: Chairman of the Press Council of India Justice Markandey Katju recently decried the irresponsible behaviour of the electronic media while covering the exodus of people from the northeast.The media, without going into details and the truth, chose to air the controversial SMSs and spread fear. "The way the issue was handled, it sent a wrong message and forced people to run for their lives," said Justice Katju. 

Independence of the press and bringing electronic media under the umbrella of the Press Council of India were highlights of the seminar on 'Media and Responsibilities'. The seminar, organized by the All India Small and Medium Newspapers Federation, also provided a platform to discuss the role of the media in handling issues like the recent exodus.

On the reluctance of the electronic media to be included in the Press Council of India, Justice Katju said this reflects the irresponsible and money-minded attitude of certain sections of the media. "The ethics of journalism should be followed by both print and electronic media. The reluctance of the electronic media only proves they are concerned only about TRPs and money. It's high time media looked into grave issues and developed a scientific way of thinking," he said.

"Satyamev Jayate should be the motto of the press, but it's very sad we are missing the point. The whole world is watching India and thus it becomes the responsibility of the press to behave in a responsible manner," said governor HR Bhardwaj.