Need for checking the authenticity of a news before spreading it on Social Media – ADG, PIB, Srinagar

In his address during the workshop, Additional Director General, Northern Region, Sh. Rajinder Chaudhary said that Media plays a pivotal role in information dissemination during every outreach program of the government for the welfare of the masses as people get to know about different welfare schemes/centrally sponsored schemes of the government only through media. He further said that media should also concentrate on writing good features, research articles by way of development reporting to move beyond what is called normal reporting.

In her inaugural address, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Babila Rakhwal appreciated the efforts of Press Information Bureau, Jammu for organizing this media workshop and said that such kinds of media workshops as well as media tours organized from time to time help media persons to grow as quality media persons. She further said that reporting should be unbiased, impartial and must include both the sides of the story so as to maintain a balance in the news reports. She maintained that responsible reporting makes inspiring media persons which can play a great role in the development of the district.

Chief Medical Officer, Reasi, Dr. Ravinder Manhas said that Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) SEHAT scheme is a game changer in the delivery of health services throughout the country for being able toprovidefree medical treatment to the masses especially for those who could not afford the treatment earlier.

Chief Education Officer, Reasi, Miss Sunita Bali while speaking on National Education Policy said that the policy seeks to restructure school curricula and pedagogy in a new ‘5+3+3+4’ design, so that school education can be made relevant to the needs and interests of learners at different developmental stages. She further said that NEP-2020 lays emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages; the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language. About the role of Information Technology, she said that IT has made the teaching learning process much easier as the digitization of study material has brought a revolution in the education system.

District Information Officer, Reasi, Sh. Rajinder Dingra said that a new dawn of development has been set in J&K with the development seen in almost every sector be that construction of highways, railway projects, hydroelectric projects, medical colleges, rural electrification, development of water bodies under Amrit Sarovar etc. The day is not far when J&K will be among the top performing UTs/States of the country in every sector, he added. He further said that Media has a great role to play by highlighting the achievements of the government in J&K in various sectors.

Defence PRO Udhampur, Lt. Col. Abhinav Navneet speaking on ‘Security Challenges and Ground Reporting’ explained different aspects of security challenges which can be socio political, territorial, economic or environmental. He mentioned that ‘Mobile Journalism’ has become a challenge for today’s world where netizens can report in real-time. He also urged media persons to develop a ‘Journalist’s Talisman’ on the lines of ‘Gandhiji’s Talisman’ to promote responsible journalism.

Joint Director, Central Bureau of Communication J&K, Sh. Ghulam Abbas emphasised on the importance of media ethics. While speaking on ‘Social Media as a tool for Information Dissemination’ said that social media portals can act as NGOs and do social service which was seen during pandemic times. He further said that fake reporting by social media handles affects their credibility and such portals need to gain the level of credibility which All India Radio has.

Assistant Director, Press Information Bureau, Miss Ayushi Puri in her concluding remarks emphasised on the importance of ‘Rural Media Workshop’ “Vartalap” which provides a platform for journalists working at district level to gain some insights about their role in development Journalism & responsible reporting.