SHILLONG: State Labour Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh on Sunday expressed concern over the working condition of journalists in the State and the North East region as a whole.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day ‘Regional Seminar-cum-Workshop’ organized by the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN), a division of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) here on Sunday, Ampareen Lyngdoh stressed on the hurdles faced by Journalists in pursuing their profession.
The two day seminar which began here would discuss on several issues confronting them, including economic exploitation and the challenges of working in a conflict zone besides media ethics and safety of journalists.
According to Lyngdoh, even the family of journalists should be covered through life and health scheme as sometimes journalists do take risks while discharging their duties.
She also said that basic housing facility for journalists is needed for journalist and she assured of all assistance from the Urban Affairs Department for formulating the proposed project.
“We need to give press and press workers due attention,” she said during her inaugural speech.
Earlier, Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times, also stated that journalists need to think about their development professionally besides looking at oneself as a stakeholder in the development of the country.
She also stressed on the need that the journalist need life and health insurance because of the risky nature of their job.
It may be mentioned that several journalists from the eight north-eastern states and outside the region have converged in Shillong to take part in the event
The Secretary of the Indian Journalist Union G Pathak rued the fact that the many media houses are not implementing the recommendations of the wage board while paying their employees.
He said that the job of journalists is equal to the profession of teaching in university even as he took strong note of the fact that journalists are paid a meager salary by their media houses.
He also expressed concern over the fact that now a days, many media house appoint journalist under a contract basis and there is no job security for journalists.
“Contractual appointment is not legal as per press council of India,” he said
While terming Assam and North East region as unsafe for journalists, he underlined the fact that journalists, media houses and Government must bear jointly take the initiative of providing health insurance to journalists even as he urged the state labour minister to come up with a health insurance scheme for journalists of Meghalaya.