SHILLONG, Nov 16: Former Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP), WR Marbaniang, has highlighted that there is a need to answer whether the media is really independent.
He was speaking at a panel discussion organised as part of the celebration of National Press Day on the theme ‘Who’s not afraid of the Media’, here on Tuesday.
The celebration was organised by the Shillong Press Club in collaboration with the Directorate of Information & Public Relations at the Shillong Club.
Participating as one of the panellists, the former DGP said, “We know that the media houses are owned by corporate and influential individuals. We know that there are big business magnates who control what media should say and when the media should say it,” Marbaniang said.
Juxtaposing the theme of the discussion with another issue, he pointed to the ‘larger question’: “Is the media really independent?”
He said that there is a need to have a definite answer on whether the media is allowed to say what it really wants to say.
“Be (it) political, financial or legal, I personally feel that the independent media is far from it,” Marbaniang said.
The former DGP opined that citizen journalists can fill this void since they can still say the truth and present the facts pertaining to any issue.
Another panellist, Executive Member of KHADC, Paul Lyngdoh, however said that to advocate for an independent media, there is a need to introspect from the point of the view of the media, leaders and even readers.
“For the media to comeback centre stage let us all do our duty to the best possible extent we can,” Lyngdoh said.
Continuing his discussion, he stated this is an age where people are suffering from ‘mental constipation and verbal diarrhoea’.
“Mental constipation and verbal diarrhoea is a deadly combination, especially in this age when people want their voice to be heard for reasons they don’t even know,” Paul said.
He, however, observed that Meghalaya is still safe and is an emerging democracy.
On the other hand, East Shillong MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh, expressed concern over the sudden shift of the way people perceive the role of the media.
She, however, stressed that the media should engage in activities like taking initiative to bring sustainable change which, she feels, is important.
Commending the Meghalaya’s journalism fraternity, she praised the media in Meghalaya calling it very different from what the sector is in mainland India, since the journalists don’t write to threaten their readers.
Policy Lead Consultant, North Eastern Network, Joy Syiem, said that the people who she thinks are not afraid of the media are the marginalised section of society — ‘the voiceless’. “They crave for the media because they want to share their story,” she shared.
In his address as chief guest, Minister of Information and Public Relations, James Sangma, informed the gathering that the Advertisement Policy of the state is in the final stage of completion and will be rolled out soon.
With regard to various demands from the press fraternity of the state which include Journalists Pension Plan and Journalists Welfare Fund, the minister said that the fovernment is committed to fulfil all their needs.
Others who partook in the programme include KHADC Chief Executive Member, Titosstarwell Chyne, who was the guest of honour, besides Senior Advocate, Meghalaya High Court, VGK Kynta, Managing Director of Centre Point Group of Enterprises, Larsing M Sawyan among others.