Scribe bodies urge all to back media fraternity
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 05 2023:
The Editors' Guild Manipur, All Manipur Working Journalists' Union and the Manipur Hill Journalists' Union have appealed to all parties of the ongoing conflict to respect and support the media fraternity working to bring sane and responsible news to the public in the interest of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.
In a joint statement today, the three media bodies also condemned some social media handlers who tried to portray some mainstream media reporters and journalists in communal light by making false accusations based on concocted theory and pictures.
The media bodies said, one social media handler by the name Bpat, or 6pat has been accusing some mainstream TV journalists of providing tear gas to a group of people.
The same has been retweeted by a handle by the name She@Zolianu.
Similar accusation made by another handle by the name being_paite is being circulated.
The media in the picture and his family along with another have also been threatened with annihilation by an unidentified caller over the issue, they said.
The EGM, AMWJU and MHJU consider the threat seriously and condemn the same, said the joint statement.
If anything happens to the journalists and their family, the caller and their group will be held responsible.
A cyber crime complaint will also be filed against those spreading hatred against media persons, said the joint statement of the bodies.
They reiterated and called on all parties to the conflict to respect the freedom of the media to collect, process and disseminate news in the interest of the public.