PRESS RELEASE

IMCA and NIMCJ Jointly Celebrate World Press Freedom Day

The Role of Press is to uplift the society and make society strong, says Bhagyesh Soneji

Ahmedabad, May 3, 2016: Ms. Bhagyesh Soneji, Chairperson of Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ASSOCHAM) Western Region said here today that freedom of expression or freedom of press comes with fundamental human rights, but it comes with responsibility and credibility.

Speaking as the chief guest at an Open House on the World Press Freedom Day organised by Indian Media Centre-Ahmedabad chapter (IMCA) at the National Institute of Mass Communication and Journalism (NIMCJ) here, she said that every citizen has the right to speak and speak fearlessly.

She considered the government, journalists, artists and even preachers as the four pillars of the society. At present, all the four pillars are working for one another. She said the motto of a journalist should be to uplift the society and make the society strong and not fearful. India’s biggest strengths are democracy and diversity. Both negativity and positivity have been prevailing in our country since the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The press must criticise or who else will, but with logic and objectivity.

Media professional participating in the discussion said that journalism is a duty and a responsibility, so much so at par with soldiers list is at par with the army when it comes to their attributes. It is because of the shortcomings of the Print and Electronic Media that Social Media has seen exponential growth over the last ten years or so.

The house was thrown open to the audience express their opinion fearlessly, around the theme, “Print and Electronic Media will stay despite Social Media.”

The event began with a video message by UNESCO Secretary General Irina Bokova, pointing out a journalist is killed somewhere in the world every fifth day.

Earlier, Mr. VK Chakravarti, Chairman, set the ball rolling with discussion on quoting Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem, "Where the mind is without fear.." with the stress on the line, “Where words come out from the depth of truth”, adding the journalists job is to expose the truth.

Mr. Shashikant Bhagat, convener-treasurer of IMCA, briefed the house about the day celebrated the world over to evaluate press freedom, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

Indian Media Centre is an independent, non-profit institution dedicated to the highest standards in journalism -print, electronic and internet. It has 16 chapters across the country.

-x-x-x-