Media should report serious debates in House: Rajya Sabha

With many MPs complaining that the media is not reporting constructive debate in Parliament, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurian on Thursday advised the media against dishonest reporting by exaggerating or blacking out news and events.

When the Upper House met for the day, Naresh Agarwal (Samajwadi Party) said the only nuisances that the MPs create by rushing into the Well or shouting slogans gets reported and news related to serious issues do not appear in the media.

Agreeing to this, senior JDU leader Sharad Yadav said despite serious debate on electoral reforms on Wednesday, a big newspaper did not carry the news.

He also sought a law to bar cross ownership by not allowing media owners to venture into other businesses. Anand Sharma (Congress) said the media played an important role in democracy in sensitising public opinion and ensuring balance of narrative on important public issues.

“If something happens and it is exaggerated, it is dishonest reporting... If a positive news is blacked out, it is also dishonest reporting. For the sake of democracy, truthful reporting has to be adhered to by the media,” Kurian added.

During the debate on Wednesday, Opposition members expressed concern over the alleged misuse of the media by political parties during elections and said paid news was distorting the electoral system.