New Delhi: Emphasising the critical role journalists play in society, Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that whether it is criticising powerful people or pointing out irregularities, they must remain the voice of the common people.
Pradhan was speaking at the Constitution Club here on Wednesday, where he awarded the Odisha Journalism Award 2021, instituted by Pallibani Mission, to six journalists from Odisha.
Praising the award winners, the minister said that though they were not based in the national capital but in Odisha, they have been successful in bringing relevant issues to the attention of ministers and officials concerned in New Delhi.
“A journalist is a journalist. There is no such thing as a national journalist or a local journalist,” he said, while emphasising the role of local media in highlighting issues in the age of social media.
Pradhan pointed out specific stories of the award winners for praise and how they were noticed in New Delhi.
Pointing out that during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country last year, no one was sure what was the best way to deal with it, Pradhan said that India today was the world’s number one vaccine maker. It was a matter of pride for the country, he added.
Referring to a media report that was critical of India’s vaccination programme compared to China, he said that there was no comparison between the two nations. India was a democracy, where accountability and transparency were the pillars of governance compared to China, he said.
Pradhan said that anyone in India can access vaccination data on a smartphone and verify the facts. It was transparent and in public domain, he added.
Pointing out that social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have made everybody a journalist, Pradhan said that in such an environment, professional journalists have to become more responsible and raise their benchmark higher to ensure the public remains well-informed.
Giving away the awards, Pradhan praised the role of each of the six journalists in highlighting issues of public importance tirelessly and, in today’s age and time, not shying away from moving into the digital media space. He praised Odisha Bytes, a digital news portal, for highlighting stories later picked up mainstream media.
The recipients of the award this year are Odisha Bytes Group Editor Sandeep Mishra; Deputy Resident Editor of The New Indian Express, Odisha, Siba Mohanty; Utkal Mail Editor Pitabasa Mishra, Kanak TV Editor Manoranjan Mishra, OTV senior cameraperson Gopal Prasad Verma and Mihir Ranjan Patra, Associate Professor at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology at Hisar.
Delhi-based Pallibani Mission has been working to promote Odia literature and culture.
In his opening address, Pallibani Mission’s chairman Rama Chandra Nath spoke about the objectives of the mission and congratulated the award winners. On the occasion, a special edition of Pallibani, the only Odia journal published from Delhi, was launched.
Others who spoke on the occasion were senior advisor to I&B Ministry Kanchan Gupta, senior journalist Rashid Kidwai and political affairs editor of Hindustan Times Sunetra Choudhury.
Gupta said that rural issues are no longer highlighted by the English-language media in Delhi and it is a challenge how to bring their voices into the mainstream. He emphasised the role of Indian language media and urged Pallibani Mission to help them deal with the challenges of digital media.
Choudhury said that the real risk is often taken by local reporters on the ground, who are paid a pittance despite big news organisations depending on them for news. She hoped that there would be more women among the award winners in the coming years.
Kidwai also spoke on the occasion and urged Pallibani Mission to find ways so that the local reporter on the ground is covered by medical insurance, has more financial security and job stability.
