Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) K.G Suresh said people still have immense faith in the media and it continues to play a critical role in nation building.“People still have faith in the media and whatever they read in the newspapers, they believe it to be the truth,” DG, IIMC said this while delivering the 8th Sat Paul Sahni Memorial Lecture on “Challenges before Indian Media Today”.The lecture was organized by J&K Regional Branch of Indian Institute of Public Administration here.Former Chief Secretary, Dr S.S Bloeria was the chief guest while as former Director General of Police Dr. Ashok Bhan was the guest of honour on the occasion. Stressing that the younger generation don’t have ideals in the field of journalism, DG IIMC said it is time that the journalists go back to the roots. Newspapers need to invest in the field stories and realize the mission with which the journalism was started in the country, he added.Saying that journalism is a tool to awaken the masses, KG Suresh said media can’t create movements but it can only act as a force-mulitplier.
These is a disconnect between what is happening on ground and what is being reported in the media, he stressed.Referring to the unprecedented corporatization of the media, the DG IIMC said it is a harsh reality that the media houses no more hire regular employees and job retrenchment is also happening in the media but no one talks about it.Stressing that the regional media is empowering the youth and the marginalized, KG Suresh said the media houses have started looking towards the neglected regions as the literacy is growing in these parts of the country. The advent of social media has also pushed the media houses to reinvent themselves as per their audience base, he added.Highlighting the challenges that the media houses face today, the DG said printing cost for a newspaper copy goes to around Rs. 25 to 30 but the reader wants to buy it in the lowest possible rate.Dr S.S Bloeria, in his address, remembered his association with Sati Sahni and highlighted the credibility that Sat Paul Sahni enjoyed as a journalist.Dr. Ashok Bhan and former Member, J&K PSC K.B Jandial also spoke on the occasion.