Fourth Pillar Shirking Responsibility towards Social Justice and Harmony

Several eminent journalists gathered to speak their mind on the role of media in promoting social harmony in the concluding programme of 15-day Peace and Humanity campaign launched by JIH in the national capital on 3 September. They presented both the bright and the gloomy pictures of media, its social responsibility and accountability. Some of them lauded its role while some of them criticised it for dividing the society and shirking its responsibility as the fourth pillar.
Vinod Sharma, Political Editor of the Hindustan Times, said that on a certain issue there have been deliberate attempts to create one opinion and to thrust that opinion on others. Reporters on the ground collecting first-hand information are not adequately trained and sometimes their own opinion reflects there in the story. Sharma categorically said in most of the cases media blindly rely on the police version during communal riots which is not always 24-carat gold. He asked the media to play its role towards social justice and social obligations.
Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director of The New Indian Express, while speaking on the occasion, said we must not only look at the darker side of the media but the brighter side as well. Despite all criticism, media is still playing its role and people should not be disheartened. He also said that a reporter’s duty is to inform what he has seen but these days he doesn’t report what he sees on the ground. Chawla said a section of the media is as much responsible as politicians for creating hatred within people on communal lines. So long as we are divided, they will continue to thrive in their vested political interests.
Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor of Caravan magazine bluntly said that media is dividing people, community and society instead of uniting them. Pointing out to some media channels, he substantiated his claim while reminding the coverage of Kashmir and JNU issues. A reporter should be guided by integrity and honesty instead of his personal opinion or line of thought.
Amrita Rai, Rajya Sabha TV Anchor, in her address, reminded the audience of two sides of the media and lauded the role of media during the coverage of Una and Kairana incidents. The positive role of the media was played in the Kairana case when news flashed on social media about alleged migration of Hindus from the Muslim-dominated district of Uttar Pradesh. Media went there and exposed the lies. It played a positive role in Una incident also. Rai said that there is ideological lobbying in the media and people who do not fall in line are projected as against nationalism. She also said there is space shrinking gradually for the deprived class within the media which is not a good sign.
Meanwhile, radio Jockey Naved of Radio Mirchi thrilled the show with his experience of Nizamuddin and Kalkaji. According to him, he was pleased and surprised as well when he came to know that neither the Muslims of Nizamuddin were found to be anti-Hindu nor the Hindus at Kalkaji were found to be anti-Muslim. His social experiment proved beyond doubt that the majority of Indians still wants to live together with peace and humanity.
Dr. SQR Ilyas, Editor, Afkar-e-Milli, an Urdu monthly, said media should take notice of those trying to destroy our social fabric and create permanent cleavage in our society. He also reminded that instability will harm foreign investment. Dr. Ilyas also said there has to be some accountability and mechanism to monitor the functioning of media.
N.K. Singh, Secretary General Editors Guild of India, said that nobody can buy the entire media. In media biases in the story are not always intentional; sometimes it is also out of ignorance or inability to analyse the facts. Singh said if there are some in the media playing negative story, there are also people in the media showing positive story. He asked the people not be demoralised because despite all shortcomings there are positive sign as well.
In his presidential address, Mohammad Salim Engineer, Secretary General of the Jamaat, said that we the people should also play our part as a monitoring mechanism so that media does not divert itself from its responsibility. He urged the people to provide correct information because in most cases the story turns out to be far from truth and objectivity due to incorrect information sometimes mistakenly and some other times deliberately. Media should cross check the information if it is from any other source. There are responsible people in the media and we have to approach them. To promote social harmony, the role of media is important. The situation can improve with the support of media. He also asked the audience to make correct use of social media.
Anil Chamadia, Editor of Mass Media and Jan Media journals, and S.S. Sarda, Supreme Court lawyer also spoke on the occasion.