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South Asia Media Summit favours value based journalism Panaji | Sunday, Nov 18 2007 IST Debunking modern trends of commercialisation, sensationalisation and trivialisation of the media, experts today called for upholding journalistic values to self-regulatory mechanism before further erosion sets in the system. They were participating in the session Changing Media Values in South Asia on the concluding day of the 3-day Annual South Asia Media Summit at the International Centre Goa(ICG) here today. The summit was organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung(FES), Media Information and Communication Centre of India(MICCI) and the ICG with about 35 mediapersons from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India participating on the theme ''Media and Public Interest in South Asia''. The experts, representing print and electronic media including broadcasters, also stressed the need for upgrading skills and knowledge through inhouse training so that the journalists covered challenging assignments like development communication, health and rural development issues. At the same time, they favoured appropriate training of the budding journalists at the journalism institutions to orient them suitably for reflecting fast chanding developments in the vibrant society. Enumerating a list of changing values in media from the pre-independence era to the modern days, Veteran journalist K.K.Katyal said the print media journalists were forced to become ''lazy'' these days as they have started watching the television and follow up stories cosily later in the day. He also narrated the role of the South Asia Free Media Association he was heading for bringing about unity among journalist community for peace and stability in the region besides striving for removal of barriers in the ''free flow of information in the region'' through various initiatives like VISA free movement of scribes. ''Let journalists of the region be treated on par with members of Parliament and judges for their free movement in the region for news coverage,'' Mr Katyal said. Mr Katyal also deprecated the distortions in the electronic media, particularly the television news channels owing to unhealthy competition, leading to government initiative to bring about the controversial Broadcast Bill to regulate the broadcast media in India. ''Develop credibility through a self-regulatory mechanism before the govenment somes out with such bills,'' Mr Katyal said. ''Technological changes had brought about price wars and selling advertisements as news with erosion in editorial content and commodification and commercialisation of news added to the downfall,'' he added. -- (UNI) -- 18BY11.xml
