News: Margao correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network – Margao (SP)

Margao, Nov 18: Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat, has exhorted the journalist fraternity, to explore root causes of the incidents, before a report on the incidents are published in the media, to highlight social issues in the right perspective, and towards building a vibrant society.

Addressing the media persons at a programme organized on the occasion of  National Press Day by the department of information and publicity, in collaboration with Goa Editors Guild, Goa Union of Journalists, and Photo Journalists Association, at Ravindra Bhavan here on Monday November 16, the Chief Minister said, the scribes should realize that they are a part of the society at large, and the press being the fourth pillar of democracy, its services are vital for the society, as far as promoting of moral values and strengthening of the social fabric are concerned.

The National Press Day was celebrated to commemorate the Foundation Day of the Press Council of India.

Secretary of information and publicity, Narendra Kumar, eminent journalist, P Sainath, Vushnu Wagh, press and media advisor, Menino Peres, director of information and publicity, Prakash Kamat, president of Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ), Bernad Sapeco, president of Photo Journalists Association and Suresh Arlekar, secretary GUJ were present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said, the journalists should play a positive role and be conscious to support the principles and stands of the government that are in the interests of the state, its people and the society at large, without any hesitation. One must try to become a good human being and to try to solve the problems of the people, he added.

Listing the measures undertaken by the government for the of media persons, the Chief Minister said that a new scheme titled, ‘Patrakar Krityanadtya Nidhi’ on the lines of ‘Kalakar Krityanadnyta Nidhi’,will be set up before the Goa Liberation Day. The laptop scheme for the scribes has been notified, and a new press room has been set up in  ESG Complex, he said, and added that he has asked the concerned government officials to submit a detailed report on the assault on a journalist at Margao, by November 25, 2009.

P Sainath, who delivered the keynote address on the theme, ‘Changing face of the Media’, touched upon various aspects such as decline in the activities of Journalists Union in the last 20 years, hyper commercialization of the media, corporatization, corruption etc.