Journalists should report objectively, says Minister

District Minister emphasizes responsible journalism, urging media to report objectively and support democracy for societal development.

Journalists should study all aspects of an issue and report objectively and with social responsibility, District in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi said in Belagavi on Sunday.

“Belagavi is an important district, but there are some long-standing issues, like the language issue. In such a situation, any incident reported here can be heard even in New Delhi. However, sometimes, fights due to personal differences between individuals tend to take the colour of language or caste enmity. This could bring a bad name to the district. This can set us back by a few years. Journalists need to be careful and responsible. They have to take extra care while reporting on issues related to caste, religion, and language. They should study all relevant facts and report responsibly,” he said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the newly formed Belagavi District Electronic Media Journalists Association at the SGBIT College auditorium.

He urged the media to work in a way that facilitates the development of the district and helps the government reform the system and address public grievances. “Media should work in such a way as to support and strengthen democracy and aid development,” the minister said.

“The veracity of the news should be checked before reports are published. Both print and electronic media should work together to alert the government. The media needs to work as a messenger of the people,” he said.

He assured to look into all the demands of journalists, including low cost housing sites and health insurance. He promised funds for the Madhyama Bhavana hall for journalists in Belagavi.

Lok Sabha member Jagadish Shettar said that for a democratic system to succeed, there was a need for the efficient functioning of the judiciary, legislature, executive, and the media.