Dont break the news while breaking news, says Ghulam Nabi Azad to media

Media, especially the TV channels, should not break the news while breaking news, says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Srinagar, Oct 19 : Media, especially the TV channels, should not "break the news" while breaking news, says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Taking a dig at the media in his inaugural address at the All India Social Editors' conference on infrastructure issues here, Azad said: "In the name of breaking news one should not break the news."

"Breaking news has become a fashion. If a wife does not serve tea to her husband, it suddenly becomes breaking news," Daily Excelsior quoted Azad as saying.

Azad observed that the projection of only negative news was sending a wrong picture about the country across the world.

"If one reads a newspaper or switches on to a news channel one gets to read and see only negative news like murders, family discord and arson as if the entire country was on fire," he said, adding that positive news takes a back seat.

He claimed that during the Congress-led UPA Government, an all- round progress was being attempted in rural and urban development, which does not find a mention in any television channel.

Observing that media definitely is the fourth estate of the democracy and the right of expression is enshrined in the Constitution, Azad expressed the problems of the government in disseminating information about the achievements of the Government. He said: "I wonder do we need to hire an external agency to promote the good work done by the Government."

"Is it not the responsibility of the media?" he asked.

Azad asked the media to promote the development as well as be a critic wherever the Government does anything wrong, adding that "Negative news is not the only news."

Major development projects that are directly connected with the welfare of the masses are either missed out or not adequately reported by print and electronic media, he pointed out.

ANI