Guwahati, Nov 16: Noted litterateur of Assam, former president of Assam Sahitya Sabha as well as former Director General of Assam Police, Kuladhar Saikia, IPS (retired) today flagged plethora of challenges posed to the media as on date because of massive digitization of its operations.
Delivering the keynote address on the occasion of state-level celebration of the National Press Day under the aegis DIPR, Government of Assam, the decorated litterateur and a former Fulbright Scholar Saikia said relentless flood of information at this digital age creates confusion in the society and has posed a great challenge to media to maintain its trustworthiness.
“Media must continue to provide food for thought and promote futuristic ideas/concepts to guide the public opinion on important and critical issues for the society. The changing nature of media demands urgent upscaling of skills of present lot of human resources engaged in the traditional media,” he said.
Stating that greatness of media can’t remained confined only in being the reflection of the contemporary society, but in paving ways for the society as a whole to cope with the changing times and needs, Saikia underlined the need for the media in Assam to focus on proliferation of Assamese language which has been accorded Classical language status, in the global arena and in the internet so that it can become compatible with AI tools that are going to rule the roost in human society soon.
Saikia cited the Mandela Effect to illustrate how repetition of falsehoods can distort public perception. Quoting Zbigniew Brzezinski, he emphasized the media’s power to shape daily lives and societal priorities. He raised concerns about media trials undermining judicial integrity and stressed the need for trust-building measures within the media industry.
The celebration of the National Press Day 2024 at the PWD Convention and Training Center here on the theme “the Changing Nature of Press,” began with a welcome address by the Director, I & PR, Manabendra Dev Ray, who reminisced about the earlier days of journalism. He expressed optimism for Assam’s media to align with global journalism practices, especially through the adoption of science and technology to meet emerging challenges.
The Editor, Assam Legislative Assembly TV, Bhupendra Nath Bhattacharya focused on the critical issue of fake news, emphasizing its detrimental impact on public trust. He urged journalists to adopt a meticulous approach by verifying facts especially in the ecosystem of rapid information generation in digital era.
Executive Editor of The Assam Tribune, Prasanta Jyoti Baruah highlighted the shift from traditional print readership to digital platforms, which have expanded the audience globally. He applauded the electronic reach of news. He also appealed to the government to take initiatives to improve the welfare of journalists and non-journalists, including provisions for housing and medical insurance, to support the fraternity better.
The presence of students from Gauhati University, Cotton University, KKHSOU and other institutions enriched the discussions.