Importance of journalistic ethics underlined

Staff correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Feb 18 – The essence of media is its credibility and the basis of its credibility lies in observance of ethics. Ethics is not merely inter-connected with credibility but also respectability, personal integrity and courtesy. These are the extracts from the speech of Subir Bhaumik, Bureau Chief of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Kolkata, which he delivered to the participating mediapersons during a day-long seminar on ‘Journalistic Ethics and its Implementation’ held at Hotel Garden Treat here. The event was sponsored by Oil India Limited as part of the company's golden jubilee celebrations.

In his speech to the local media fraternity, Bhaumik said mediapersons need to learn from the profession what to do and what not to do. “Whether a media person has undergone a formal training in journalism or not, a training module on ethics is must for every working journalist,” Bhaumik underlined. He went on to assert that the debate on media ethics would remain incomplete without the involvement of the owner, management and the editorial team at the desk.

Wasbir Hussain, currently a freelance journalist and Director of a Guwahati based NGO, who also attended the seminar, deliberated on the subject and touched upon various aspects like reporting allegation, distortion, sting operation, plagiarism, intruding into the privacy of individuals, attribution of quotes, etc.

Hussain reminded that the main objective of a reporter was to inform. He asked the mediapersons not to deviate from this objective. “There cannot be any other objective other than informing. If you are not informing, you are on the wrong track,” he pointed out. He also spoke about advocacy journalism, development journalism and Gonzo journalism, where a reporter addresses his readers in first person.

The participants at the interactive session raised their questions and sought clarifications from both the resources persons on various issues pertaining to journalistic ethics. The seminar was moderated by eminent writer and noted litterateur Prof Nagen Saikia.

Earlier, Dr Amaresh Dutta attended the inaugural function as the guest of honour. Dr Dutta, a former professor emeritus at the Gauhati University, in his inaugural speech said that journalistic ethics should be of paramount interest to all concerned. On the media-reader relationship, Dr Dutta questioned: “Where are the journalistic works that mould public opinion, where is the journalism that gives opportunity to the readers to think and make their own judgement? On the print and electronic media, Dr Dutta remarked that the electronic media's visual illustrations and sensationalisms were gradually influencing the print media. source: assam tribune