National Media Meet demands amendment in Working Journalist Act

Governor Punjab, Chief Minister Haryana and Central Cabinet Minister Birender Singh addressed the meet last day
Chandigarh, December 10, 2017: The two-day meet on ‘Challenges before media and media ethics’ concluded today with a resolution demanding that the scope of the Working Journalist Act should be strengthened by bringing the electronic media and all other media persons within its ambit.

It was also stressed that the Central Government should immediately setup a new wage board for journalist and non journalist.

The two day meet organized by the Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees Organizations saw participation of delegates from 22 states, representing six national level media organizations- All India Newspapers Employees Federation, Indian Journalist Union, National Union of Journalist (I), IFWJ, Federation of PTI Employees Unions, UNI Workers’ Union. The meet was hosted by The Tribune Employees Union.

After independence, it was the first national meet for the journalist and non journalist in Chandigarh. The event yesterday saw participating on the opening day by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh as chief guest at Chandigarh University, Gharuan.

Speaking at a session on the concluding day, Panjab University Vice Chancellor Prof. AK Grover said the university’s history was associated with newspapers. “Dyal Singh Majithia and Bal Gangadhar Tilak started newspapers to involve educated people in Indian governance”, he said adding that Majithia was an educationists and social reformer.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore, who was the Chief guest in the first session on the concluding day, said an era of challenge had started for newspapers. “This was an age of innovative interruption. You have to find way to overcome you challenges like state of contractual staff, constitution of wage board, visual media, availability of news on mobile”.
The Governor said there was always demand for good writers.

Union Minister of Steel, Birender Singh, who was the chief guest in the second session, said information technology has affected the traditional media. The demand for newspapers has affected due to digital media.

The Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal, today inaugurated the concluding session of the two-day meet of the ‘Confederation of Newspaper and News Agency Employees Organizations’ at the Golden Jubilee Hall, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

The Haryana Chief Minister in his address said challenges before the media persons and politicians in the country are nearly same. While quoting an interaction between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mediapersons, the PM said that the biggest challenge for him was to improve the image of the politicians. The same applies to media persons, he said.

The CM said the biggest challenge before media persons was operating within the framework of ethics and objectivity. Described as the fourth pillar of democracy, it was subject that required passion.
Before independence, Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak brought out newspapers, as their mission was independence of the country. Stressing on bringing credibility among media persons, he said doctors, advocates, media persons and politicians are seen with an eye of suspicion and it needs to be corrected.

Leaders of the Confederation demanded that the working journalist act should be amended to include contractual and electronic media persons. They said pension benefit, started by the Haryana Government, should be extended to all newspapers employees.

Chief Minister Haryana honoured President of Chandigarh Press Club Mr. Jaswant Rana, President Tribune Employees Mr. Anil Gupta and General Secretary Balwinder Jammu along with other dignitaries. The Confederation also honoured Governor Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh, Chief Minister Haryana, Central Steel Minister Birender Singh and Vice Chancellor AK Grover.