Prominent journalists, strategic and defence experts today called for enactment of new legislation to protect journalists and regulate media ownership in Conflict zones.In a panel discussion, held by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC),Jammu Campus, the President of press club of India, Rahul Jalali, revealed that a team of eminent jurists, academicians and journalists is in the process of drafting a legislation that shall be presented to the parliament of India. The Panel Discussion on “Conflict Reporting: Is media biased or objective?’, was held in the memory of Late K.M. Srivastava, head of IIMC regional centres.The discussion was moderated by Jalali and other eminent speakers were Ashwani Kumar, President of Press Club of Jammu; Col. Manish Mehta, PRO Defence (Jammu); Pradeep Dutta, Bureau Chief,Times Now (Jammu); Mr Anil Bhat, Bureau Chief of PTI; Dr J Jeganaathan, Asstt. Prof in National Security Studies, Central University (Jammu) and Dr Baccha Babu, Asst Prof in Department of Journalism, Central University (Jammu).Speakers emphasised upon the importance of responsible and restrained reporting especially during the conflict and also talked about ‘Perception Management’. Between the war of narratives and hardships of covering from a conflict zone where truth and rationality become the first causality, some speakers emphasised on objective reporting with a humane approach and focused on the need to broadcast the real truth gathered from responsible sources especially when covering terrorist encounters.
Bringing in the academics perspective, Academicians focused on covering various phases of conflict and how vernacular dailies were less biased as compared to any other media coverage. The penultimate speaker reflected on ownership pattern and plight of a reporter who works with zero hypotheses.Some speakers at the event accepted that bias does exist in the industry and social media also sets its own agenda. They pressed on the need for laws in media ownership and that the owners should be regulated, not the reporters. Tributes were paid to the valiant journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of truth.Concluding the discussion, Mr. Manohar Khajuria, Special officer, IIMC, Jammu Campus said that Prof. Shrivasatava was a dedicated media educationist who did pioneering work in training journalists from developing countries as well. He also ran the well-sought after special media sensitisation programme for personnel from the Indian Armed forces, Para-military and police.