GUWAHATI, Jan 7 - The Journalists� Forum Assam (JFA), has expressed serious concern over repeated attacks on working journalists across India, and insisted on honouring media wisdom by both media and non-media entities.
The scribes� body, however, reiterated that as journalists enjoy the right to ask questions for information, the others should also have the opportunity to criticise mediapersons as well.
It may be noted here that an interview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Smita Prakash, editor of news agency Asian News International (ANI), which was telecast by various news channels on January 1, 2019, led to criticism against the interviewer that she left out many important issues from the discussion.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi termed the ANI interviewer a �pliable journalist�. However, the use of words like �pliable� by the Congress president was strongly denounced by the Editors Guild of India.
�We believe that journalists should claim no immunity from healthy and civilised criticism. At the same time, labelling of journalists has emerged as a favourite tactic on the part of the establishment to discredit, delegitimise and intimidate them,� said a statement from the Editors Guild.
Many other journalists� associations also criticised the Congress president for his remark against the ANI editor, saying the comment was unwarranted and unbecoming of a senior leader of a national political party.
A statement issued today by the JFA said that journalists should not bother about critical comments from politicians.
JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria said the organisation always believes in continuously working with a clear mission to �safeguard the interest of the nation in particular and the human race in general�.
