Setting aside a day for the press : Failure to attract the best
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: November 18, 2014 -

Setting aside a day as National Press Day, annually. Honouring media persons.

The State Government has been doing this for decades and this highlights the importance of the media or the fourth estate in a democracy.

Important it certainly is, but this does not answer the question of whether this importance has sunk into the consciousness of all who matter.

Like any other thing, the media has not been static.

Maybe it is the demand of the time but the progress made by the fourth estate in nearly two decades is something noteworthy. The change or development can be seen in both the print and electronic medium.

So from a single paged, letter press, the newspapers in Manipur today are multipaged, multi-coloured and have progressed from the letter press to the latest printing technology.

The same is with the electronic media, where the sky is open not only to one channel but to others as well, especially in Imphal.

The sky too has opened up at the district headquarters and Manipur surely seems to be moving in tandem with the Information Age.

Along with the advancement in printing technology the quality of the daily product too has seen a marked improvement.

A reflection of the growing professionalism and competition in the media. Healthy for democracy and healthy for society.

In as much as there has been a qualitative change in the media in recent times, the time is also opportune for all, especially those who are in the profession to raise certain questions.

At the same time it is also important to acknowledge certain facts.

The media, no doubt, has made significant progress down the years, but can it be honestly said that it can attracts the best ?

Has journalism, as a career, been able to catch the attention of the youngsters ?

How many youngsters in a class room will actually opt for this profession and how many parents have encouraged their children to take up this vocation ?

No easy answers here for there are numerous factors at play.

An indication that the journalists have not been able to fire the imagination of the youngsters and this will probably go on as long as journalism is seen as a field which is there to lap up those who have not been able to land another job.

Time to address these questions, or else setting aside a day as National Press Day will not serve the intended purpose.