Scribes boycott
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 26 2014:
Taking strong exception to RIMS media advisor Iboyaima Laithang- bam's derision of the journalists fraternity of Manipur by using such terms as impolite, illiterate, sub-standard etc, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) has decided to boycott all news items related to RIMS until the media advisor is removed.
Addressing an emergency meeting at Manipur Press Club today, AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shyamjai said that a team of media persons went to cover agitation by RIMS nurses who wore black badges in connection with certain controversy over seniority list.
As the media persons reached RIMS, media advisor Iboyaima Laithangbam called out Yumnam Ibomcha of the Poknapham daily and started abusing the reporter out of context blaming journalist fraternity of the State.
He called the journalist fraternity of Manipur as illiterate, sub-standard and impolite.
All positive events and development stories of RIMS would be boycotted until Iboyaima Laithangbam is removed from the post of media advisor.
Nonetheless, all the ills, graft practices, anomalies and discrepancies of RIMS and its authority would be unearthed and published as usual, Shyamjai said.
Meanwhile the Editor's Guild, Manipur has condemned in the strongest term the scornful treatment and abuse of the State's media persons by Iboyaima Laithangbam.
Pointing out that Iboyaima himself is a correspondent of a national paper, the Editors' Guild decried that Iboyaima's disrespectful treatment of his own colleagues was unwarranted.
Iboyaima should tender an apology to the journalist fraternity of the State at the earliest otherwise all press statements issued by the media advisor or RIMS authority would not be entertained at any media house of the State.
Another option is appointment of a new advisor in place of Iboyaima Laithangbam, said a press release issued by the Editors' Guild.