Paid news breaches trust of common people

‘Democracy becomes weak without independent media’

BHUBANESWAR: “If Media becomes weak, the other three pillars of democracy will be affected and can’t work freely,” said national English daily The Pioneer’s Editor-in-chief and national president of Indian Media Centre (IMC) Chandan Mitra while attending the State-level conference of the IMC here on Saturday.

Mitra discussing on the scheduled topic ‘Paid News versus Value Added Journalism’ said that paid news is undermining the democracy because it becomes weak without an independent media. Paid news syndrome is growing like cancer disease, he added.

He also said the politicians and the people, who give paid news, are playing with the faithfulness of the people on media. Hiding serious news and publishing news in favour of a certain person or organisation by taking money is illegal, said Mitra, adding, “Citizen Journalists should come forward against the paid news syndrome.”   

  

The experts during the discussion said that when paid information is presented as independent news content, it misleads the public and hampers the ability of people to form correct opinions. So Paid news is deceit and it breaches the trust of the readers, they added.

IMC State president Ravi Rath said the paid news is a serious issue which tarnishes the image of media in the country. The age old believe as media is a faithful friend and guide of the society may diminish by this unethical act, he added.

The participants including Kalinga Mail Editor Sivananda Ray, KBK Samachar editor and IMC State vice-president Binod Mohapatra, Nilagiri MLA Pratap Sarangi, Samata Kranti Dal State secretary Manoj Jena and former MP Rasbihari Behera attended the conference and shared their views about present situation of the country and its media.