NEW DELHI: Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today handed out some sanskari (rooted in culture) advise to officials of All India Radio and Doordarshan while reminding them of a pubcaster’s responsibilities in dishing out information devoid of sensationalism.

Stressing on the need for upholding credibility in dissemination of information by public broadcasters, the Minister said, “Public service broadcasters have a great responsibility on their shoulders to ensure credibility in the era of competition.”

Naidu was speaking at a review meeting during a visit to the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) centres in Hyderabad on Monday.
Naidu infused confidence in the officials of different media units of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) while interacting with them to understand their problems.

He said the information empowerment of the people is quintessential in the age of information revolution, and information is “great ammunition in the hands of the people in fighting corruption, poverty and inequalities from the society for the overall development of India”.

The Minister added that the public discourse should be guided by development rather than disruptive tactics and politics.
Public broadcasters must excel in factual information while communicating to the mass audience. He advised those in the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, parent of DD and AIR, not to jump to conclusions but confirm the news before putting it on air.

“A public broadcaster, while disseminating information must abstain from obscenity, vulgarity and violence”, he said, adding that people in the media while producing programmes, plays, cultural programmes, must keep in mind India’s great heritage, culture, traditions and customs in mind.

He advised people in media to maintain high standards in informing the masses, keeping in mind the philosophy and guidelines established by the founding fathers in various spheres of public life. “Let us not mix news with views and create a bad practice,” Naidu exhorted Prasar Bharati officials.

He advocated that media should work together in bringing social harmony and discourage politicisation of social issues and not play into the hands of terrorists and to avoid in “turning them into heroes”.
He wanted the media to be biased towards rural people, agriculturists, down trodden sections, women and disabled people in giving more coverage to highlight their grievances.