Ethical reporting on Human Rights issues needed

BHUBANESWAR: “To unearth the truth of any hidden issue related to human rights violation is need of the hour and for which a proper training should be given to the journalists about the rights of the people,” said National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member Damodar Sarangi at a State-level training programme for media persons on human rights organised by the Human Rights Front (HRF) supported by the NHRC here on Wednesday.

Addressing the media persons, Sarangi said the journalists should be acquainted with the knowledge of human rights which will come in their use during reporting. The sensitive cases related to the life and security of a human being should not be overlooked, he added.

Sarangi stated that a prisoner gets around Rs 45 for food everyday, while some poor people die without getting food in western Odisha. The State Government has been saying that they have surplus food grain, but why starvation death is occurred in the State, he said, adding, “The journalists should bring out with those stories in an ethical ways and high light that with proper follow ups.”

The two-day training programme was organised to upgrade skill and knowledge of the media persons to make aware about human rights law, to build protection mechanism and capacity building, to create State-wide network, skilful reporting on human rights issues and to create a campaign to demand for implementation of the Whistle-blower Protection Act.

Among others, HRF president Manoj Jena, State Commission for Women member Snigdha Panigrahy, The Hindu special correspondent Prafulla Das, Hindustan Times bureau chief Priya Ranjan Das, Satya Prakash Nayak from Kanak TV, RTI Activist Pradeep Pradhan, Rajeev Sarangi from Doordarshan and representatives of various media houses were present.