Summit ends with caveat 16 October 2012 GOA, 16 OCT: The 9th Annual South Asia Media Summit 2012 concluded here today with a warning to the mainstream media that it cannot survive if it ignores the public interest.
For three days, the summit at The International Centre Goa, witnessed hot debates on the mainstream media’s eroding acceptability to the general populace. Neither the market nor technology can keep media groups growing forever if they don't nurture public support by building credibility and trust, the organisers said. Pune-based journalist Anand Agashe said conscious readers and viewers are important stakeholders in the commercial media. TRP, ABC and IRS offer information about the market value of media outlets, but should not be used as a benchmarks of success, he said. Pakistani journalist Muhammad Badar Alam argued that news is incorrectly priced. If media houses sell their products at below cost, he said, they have to depend on other sources of revenue to survive. "Once advertisers stepped into the business in a bigger way, the management of the newspaper or news channels has to succumb to the pressure of advertisers. Often, we sell advertisements rather than news,” he said. Dharmendra Jha, from Nepal, advocated more co-operative media houses to overcome pressure from advertisers. He said both government-run and corporate-controlled media groups are doing well in Nepal, but journalists and other media employees have not benefited accordingly. Mujeeb Khalvatgar, from Afghanistan, said media in Afghanistan is not dependent on advertisers. Nor do the media owners depend on readers or viewers. They are being funded by foreign agencies, he said. “But by 2014, the donor agencies will depart and the real challenges to survive in the market would begin for the Afghan media thereafter,” Mr Khalvatgar said. Rinzin Wangchuk, of Bhutan, said that in his country, 80 per cent of advertisements in the media come from the government. Still, the Bhutanese media is free to criticise the government, he said. “However we don't criticise the monarch and maintain a self-restriction there,” Wangchuk added. Ms Mehmal Sarfraz, of Pakistan, said television in her country has made it a habit to cross the line. “Pakistani television often tends to glorify jihadi groups and, in that way, violence. Moreover, the Urdu media is also following the same tactics. We definitely need self-regulation in Pakistan,” she said. Myanmarese journalist from Rangoon Myo Lwin said the media scene in his country is improving, as the country slowly adopts democracy. He said a press council is being formed, and training programmes for local journalists are being organised with governments support. Namini Nimilamalee Wijedasa, of Sri Lanka, said the media there practices self-regulation. She said journalists should be giving ongoing training, and those working with utmost commitment and dedication to society should be rewarded. http://thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=427125&catid=36 _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
