ITANAGAR, 13 Jan: Information & Public Relations Minister Bamang Felix on Wednesday called upon the Indian Journalists Union’s (IJU) leadership to help the government in formulating a policy to regulate the mushrooming of digital and social media outlets.
Addressing the IJU’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting here, Felix said, “In the era of social media, people are confused to make out who are real journalist and who are self-proclaimed journalist. I appeal to the IJU leadership to discuss and work out a policy and suggest the department to bring mechanism to regulate it. I will ensure that the act is enacted if the IJU could come up with a policy.”
Stating that the Pema Khandu government “has always been a press-friendly government,” Felix highlighted the major reformative steps taken by the Khandu-led government for the welfare of the press community in the state.
IJU President Geetartha Pathak in his address said, “Journalism per se is not a profession, as profession makes economic support to professional, which is not in case with the journalism profession,” and added that “the professionals working the profession are not getting enough incentives and salary.”
“Covid-19 has made challenging for media houses and persons. We would discuss over safety of journalists, wage issue and working atmosphere in the NEC to make our journalism better,” said Pathak.
He lauded the Khandu-led government for announcing Rs 25,000 as pension amount for working journalists who retire from the profession. “The rest of the country should be inspired by the Arunachal Pradesh government,” he said.
IJU Secretary-General Sabina Inderjit said, “NEC Itanagar would be a historic NEC. We would sit down to discuss major challenges we are facing as media, how media has being trampled and choked.
“I hope we would set a roadmap from Itanagar to fight attacks on press freedom which have grown and also take the lead on looking into the presence of digital journalism,” she said.
“The IJU has been very active in the world forum. Indian journalists’ issues have been taken up in the world forum,” she added.
Inderjit further said that the IJU expresses solidarity with the journalists in Kashmir and the Northeast region, who face repressive acts by the authorities for their reportage.
APUWJ President Amar Sangno in his opening remarks expressed hope that the IJU NEC Itanagar would benefit the young working journalists in the state.
