'Parties starting newspapers to promote their interest'

By starting their own newspapers, political parties and business groups are promoting their vested interests and compromising the values of journalism, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Saturday.

Naidu was speaking at an event organised by the Press Council of India to observe the National Press Day and confer National Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

"Nowadays business groups and political parties are also starting their own newspapers and channels. Through these, they are promoting their vested interests and compromising the values of journalism," he said.

Naidu stressed that if a newspaper is run by a political party, it should clearly mention so.

He also urged journalists to exercise caution in the time of sensationalism.

"Sensationalism has become the order of the day, sensational news means senseless news," he said.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said in today's time fake news is a bigger crisis than paid news.

"This is the day for the press to understand its freedom as well as its responsibility. Today there is a crisis of fake news more than paid news," he stressed.