– day workshop entitled ‘Journalism- the Citizen’s Role, Media Ethics and Practice’ at the premises of the University which witnessed the participation of elite panelists along with prominent media-house owners and journalists of the state apart from students from various colleges in the city and from EFLU and IIM Shillong.

The workshop was inaugurated by Minister for Information and Public Relations AT Mondal who, in his inaugural address termed the media as the backbone of democracy and applauded the organisers for their efforts to provide a platform not only for journalists but also citizens of the state to know their rights and responsibilities better.

He however, rued the fact that news reports are often based on the views and opinions of a few who run the show. Mr Mondal said the growing competition in the media world has forced media houses to struggle to get the off beat news first hand and in the process have sometimes resorted to fabrication and distortion of news reports without actually verifying the facts.

While calling upon the journalists to maintain authenticity, credibility, objectivity and correctness while reporting the news, Mondal said media has become a lifeline of the nation and people tend to believe whatever is being reported or fed to them. He added that media can make or unmake a person and can even destroy his/her reputation.”

Meanwhile, renowned journalist and co-founder of JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism, Mumbai Shishir Joshi, who was also the main resource person for the workshop highlighted the core meaning of journalism saying “Journalism is an act of story-telling but based on factual and accurate information”.

Later, during the 1st panel discussion on the topic—“The media and the readership: Does anyone care?”, eminent personalities including Toki Blah, Paul Lyngdoh, RM Mishra, Mamang Dai and Prof AN Rai spoke on various issues on the topic.

Meanwhile, reacting to a question as to why bureaucrats are not open to questions and interactions with media persons to disseminate information on the latest schemes introduced by the government, Meghalaya Commissioner and Secretary, Planning, RM Mishra said that they are not trying to avoid or manage the media but rather there is a division of labour within departments and it is for the media to understand the management part of it.

E.P. Desk