Is accepting gifts by newsperson unethical ?
- Imphal Times Editorial :: February 16 2020 -

Much has been talking about journalists being paid by vested interested groups for the promotion of their activities.

There are rumors about celebrity journalists across the country by big corporate houses in exchange for news report which promotes them.

In Manipur, people started spreading rumors about journalists being pocketed by politicians by offering them gifts in the form of money or luxurious items.

These are rumors spread by vested interested people who had faced the music of reported news items that sabotage their careers.

Having said so this write up is not saying that all journalists particularly those who are based in Manipur are clean.

There may be some but if any person who has proof of auctioning their profession for mere gift or benefit, there is a body called All Manipur Working Journalist Union (AMWJU) and Editor’s Guild Manipur (EGM) whom they can complain with proof so that the declining image of the journalists’ fraternity can be safe.

Simply blaming for personal enmity towards the journalists’ fraternity will not help the fourth pillar of the Indian Democracy in rendering their service to push forward the nation in the right direction.

When N Biren Singh led BJP government supported by some other political party replaced the Congress led government in 2017, he being started his career as journalists invited all journalists of the state for a dinner and presented gifts (Samsung Tablet) to each journalist.

Many people particularly the opposition criticized it.

It was not to the selected journalist that he offered the gift but to all the journalists.

It seems like these critics which tried to misinterpret the presentation of gifts seem to have forgotten that – the world has changed today.

Diary and pen which used to be gifted to journalists in the earlier days were common and none criticized such presentation of gifts to journalists.

On the other hand, these days people who criticized or judged the activities of journalists started calling those journalists who use to visit Ministers, MLAs, bureaucrat officers without knowing the purpose of the visit.

Journalists reporting political beat need to meet Ministers, MLAs, or even the bureaucrats to extract worthy news.

Talk about payment of some money during the press conference is also a matter of serious concern.

But why these people paid to the journalist for publishing their news.

Instead, they could come to the media house and request for publication in the form of advertisements through proper channels.

Blaming the journalists is a kind injustice done to demoralize the spirit of journalism.

People who are not in the profession should remember that everything that is being published by media today is still the nation’s conscience.

Editorial still continues to condemn the venality of politicians and corruption.

Infringing to one’s profession without having a complete understanding of the profession will do no good to the society but will only demoralize those in the profession of journalism where the maximum of them works with sincerity with meager pay.