Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said fake news, wrong and mischievous information, political ambitions and preferences, tendency to play power brokers, and monetary considerations, had eroded the people’s faith in the media.
“The Press Council of India [PCI] should take quick action against those deliberately spreading fake news and compromising professional ethics. It is not the time to show teeth but a time to bite. And the bite must be strong because those who are serving with high ethical standards must be encouraged only by those not doing so being visited with exemplary consequences,” he said while addressing a National Press Day event.
Mr. Dhankhar said: “Media is not a power centre or stakeholder in realpolitik. Ground reality is, it is doing everything under the sun to be a power centre -- not only a stakeholder, it seems to control it, seems to infuse it. It is so painful that some journalists have taken on themselves to change the course of democratic process contrary to the ground sentiments.”
