Media persons frown on paid news, PR journalists

Mumbai, Feb 14

Top media persons at a daylong conclave here Monday frowned on the practice these days of so-called 'paid news? and ?public relations journalists? in the media.

Veteran journalist and former editor H.K. Dua expressed strong disapproval at the trend of paid news and said, "It goes against the principles of journalism.?

?Paid news is nothing but propaganda under the garb of journalism. Journalists should not work like PR people and PR people should not behave like journalists,? Dua said.

He stressed the need to draw a ?Lakshman Rekha? (the line that differentiates) between PR and journalism, and called for maintaining their own levels of credibility.

Maharashtra Director General of Police K. Subramaniam, who was the chief guest, underliend the role of communicators and the media in social security.

?Media in particular has a great role to play in making people aware about the law and putting right before the wrong,? Subramaniam said.

?Journalists should be upright and must not be afraid of calling a spade a spade. They should not buckle under pressures from any quarter,? TV anchor and veteran media personality Arnab Goswami said.

Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives & Rural Development chairperson Rajashree Birla said that every corporate entity and even PR professionals should spend some time and efforts on community development and reaching out to the underprivileged sections of society.

Birla received the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award on behalf of the Aditya Birla Group, while Goswami was conferred Mediaperson Of the Year Award at the VIth Global PR and Media Conclave on ?PR - Interface or Interference,? hosted by the Public Relations Council of India here.

Former Pakistan law minister and human rights activist Iqbal Haider, who was a surprise guest at the conclave, said PR and media professionals have a big role to play in bringing the people of India and Pakistan closer together to ensure lasting peace in the region.

?In fact, we are keen to play a role in hosting a similar communicators? conclave even in Pakistan,? Haider said.

Conclave chairman B.N. Kumar announced the setting up of the Indian PR Academy by the PRCI to provide advanced skill training in public relations to prepare young graduates of mass communications colleges to join PR as a profession that offers tremendous scope to communication professionals.

Other prominent speakers included veterans like Kumar Ketkar and Ayaz Memon.

Source: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a280219.html

uss arizona myth busters tracy mcgrady tracy mcgrady mash alec baldwin kicked off plane alec baldwin kicked off plane