Ethics And Development At Information Crossroads

“Right to information has to be exercised to transform India from a representative democracy to a participatory democracy, whereby transparency and accountability of the government can be ensured”, said Prof. Sunil Behera, Chairperson, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Berhampur University, speaking as the Guest of Honour at a seminar on ‘Right To Information And The Role Of The Media’ organized on 28-29 March by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC), University of Calcutta (CU) at the Darbhanga Hall, CU Asutosh Siksha Prangan, College Street. The role of media is to create awareness for effective use of the Right to Information and unearth malfunctioning in different quarters.

Noting Kolkata as the birthplace of journalism in most Indian languages, Prof. M.R. Dua, UGC representative of the host department’s Departmental Special Assistance Programme said, “Sense of responsibility is expected on the part of the media in the context of multiplicity of news channels”.

Emphasising the tendency of media to try to take the position of the other three estates, Prof. K.V. Nagaraj, Chairperson, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Mangalore University, noted, “How the Official Secrets Act can run in tandem with the Right to Information Act?”, later corroborated by CU-JMC faculty Asim Kumar Mitra. The latter demanded a provision for direct public interactions with politicians failing to honour their own promises.

As Prof. R.M. Pathak, Director, Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, Kashi Vidyapith said, “Mission has to be there for success in professional journalism”, CU Prof. Samir Kumar Bandopadhyay emphasised that clarity of definitions and explanations is required to enable smoother statutory interpretations, shortcomings of which, as also those of any public utility system, are pointed out by the media.

Highlighting that “In the current era of sophisticated warfare a journalist can cover the same only being a part of either of the warring parties”, Santanu Sanyal from Hindu Business Line and the host department noted that in corporate reporting information obtained out of in-depth study and confidential sources cannot be published without ratification from the company bosses, who may be silent or may dish out ambiguous remarks when approached for clarification.

The students-teachers interactive sessions on ‘Media Ethics And Development Communication’ and ‘Journalism At The Crossroads’, saw the CU-JMC students battering the distinguished panelists with queries on cricket reporting to crime reporting, right to information to right to privacy, media ethics to media council, sting operation to spiced-up stories, with the eminent speakers, with all their experience and wisdom, catering to the wannabe journos’ rights to exercise their freedom of speech and expression, and to access information.

While sumptuous lunch packets ensured the stomach its share of fulfillment, a cultural programme on Day One afternoon, at the Ritwik Hall in the same campus, satisfied the finer faculties with songs, dances, recitations by the CU-JMC students and staff-member, to go with the performance of Chandan Sen’s play ‘Gopon Kothati’ in English by Theatre Spandan.

Among the other dignitaries attending the session, were Prof. B.P. Sanjay, Chairperson, S.N. College of Communication, Hyderabad; Prof. S.N. Misra, Co-ordinator, Department of Journalism & Mass Comunication, Utkal University; Prof. Dr. Tapati Basu, Head of the host department and its other faculty members, teachers from different colleges and universities.