Sanjha Morcha

Well said, Mr President Media cannot be an instrument of intolerance

Well said, Mr President
PTI photo

President Pranab Mukherjee deserves a salute for reminding the journalists as also other democratic stake-holders of the role and responsibilities of the media in furthering our republican virtues and values. In his Ramnath Goenka Memorial Lecture, Pranab Mukherjee thoughtfully alluded to the cacophony, chaos and confusion that have come to define the media scene in this age of internet and social media, and, how this unfiltered and unregulated overflow of information, data and opinion has complicated the Fourth Estate’s task. That the media itself has been falling victim to temptations of partisanship is a rather old story; what is new is that unprecedented barrage of news sources is providing the people “the choice to read only what they want to, and more importantly, only what they agree with.” The cumulative outcome is a shrunken space for disagreement and increased intolerance. This itch for intolerance is at variance with the need in a democracy to “doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually.” At the same time, the President needs to be commended for reminding the media of its own deficiencies and creeping delinquencies like “paid news,” which is a threat to the very credibility of the entire profession. The corporate ownership of the media, the inclination to promote dumbing down of news, and the suborning of professional ethics have all combined to play havoc with the media’s credibility. Like the political class, the media leaders, too, find themselves tempted to pander to the masses’ prejudices rather than performing their professional dharma of upholding reason and logic.   The President’s reflections also caution us against the use of new technology by powerful groups and individuals to put in place “one-way communications from the powerful to the less privileged.” This in recent times has, according to Pranab Mukherjee, diluted our civilizational plurality and its cultural, social, linguistic  and racial diversity. “The need to ask questions of those in power is fundamental for the preservation of our nation and of a truly democratic society.” As the President sees it, the media must remain conscious and true to its role as a vigilant custodian of public interest. The President’s invocation of the media’s duties is most timely.