Rajdeep Sardesai, consulting editor of the India Today group, on Sunday regretted receiving the Padmashri award from the then Congress-led UPA government.
He was speaking at the inaugural of the Bengaluru TV Journalists’ Association in the City. “The politicians are dividing the journalists to carry out their own agenda in the form of right and left ideologies. Journalists should be like an insect in the room with no political colour. We are not VIPs,” he said.
Seeking protection of the Union government, Sardesai said media persons - particularly video journalists - were more vulnerable to threat and intimidation from politicians and other individuals.
‘Side with society’ He advised journalists to take the side of society and not politicians. “Stand with the victim,” he said.
In his speech, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the component of freedom of expression was beneficial if media used it for the good of the society.
“The right to free speech should not divide us,” Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah urged the media houses to provide all sides of the story with objectivity. Journalism is not being judgmental. There’s a clear line between legislature, executive and judiciary. The media cannot play all these roles, he said.
Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda asked journalists to evaluate their own work apart from questioning the politicians. People assess the work of elected representatives at least once in five years. What about journalists, he asked.
Published 06 March 2016, 19:09 IST