GUWAHATI, March 27 � Several speakers at a seminar on �Paid news and the ensuing Assembly polls� expressed grave concern over the growing menace of paid news and stressed the need for restoring the fading credibility of the media.
The event was organised by several journalists� unions including Journalists� Union of Assam, Assam Union of Working Journalists, Assam Working Journalist (Sub-editors) Association and the Association of Small and Medium Newspapers of India.
Economist Ananta Kalita, in his speech, said that apart from eroding the credibility of the media, the syndrome of paid news was misleading and confusing the common man. He said that the corrupt political class was using the situation to its advantage by forming an unholy nexus with unscrupulous elements in the media.
Kalita said it was apparent that paid news syndrome would be there during the ensuing Assembly polls. He also felt that the neo-liberalization policy since 1991 had paved the way for unbridled corruption in the country.
Keshav Das Chandola, president of the Association of Small and Medium Newspapers of India, bemoaned the lack of laws and called for stringent laws to tackle the menace of paid news in the country.
Other speakers in the function which was presided over by journalist Geetartha Pathak included Munin Bayan, executive editor of Dainik Asom, Dimbeswar Kalita, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup-Metro), and Suresh Garodia, State president of the Association of Small and Medium Newspapers of India.
