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Responsibility is the
Key
To many the role of the media and the security forces would appear poles apart and to many more the very idea of a common thread running between these two agencies may seem far fetched and the reasons are not far to seek. The security force is a uniformed service and they are here to tackle the problems of militancy and aid the civil administration in the maintenance of law and order while the media is here to disseminate a whole gamut of information to the public.
So from the proceedings of the Assembly to the policies and programs adopted and implemented by the Government of the day to the issues related with militancy etc, it is the job of those in the media to pass on these information to the public without any biases and favoritism.
But is this all? One may be tempted to say that such is the role and functioning of the media that it is connected to all the Government and non-Governmental organizations and there should be no reason why its ties with the armed forces should come up for special discussion.
Fair enough. But what should not be forgotten is the point that given the circumstances under which both agencies work, the relationship between these two entities cannot be equated with, say the ties and links the media has with the Manipur State AIDS Control Society though both are important in their own ways.
Our argument is simple enough. Since the military people are here to tackle militancy problem and help the civil administration in maintaining law and order and since the media report on militancy related issues it is but natural that these two agencies run into each other in the course of their duty. And yes at such times there are rooms galore for misunderstandings to crop up between the two parties.
It was with the objective to minimize the room for misunderstanding and yes to understand the role and functioning of either side that Assam Rifles authority deemed important to organize the Media-Military Interface seminar at Kangla on July 13. Though a one-day seminar cannot be expected to have a profound impact on the relationship between the military and the media, a beginning nevertheless has been made and we hope the views and opinion shared on the day are not left behind in the seminar hall by either side.
Not surprisingly the interaction explored the problems faced by the security personnel and the media persons while discharging-their duties, the manner in which security personnel act towards reporters who go to the site of an ambush or attack and the perception of this security personnel that their works and programs are not given enough media coverage etc.
Any discussion on the relationship between the media and the security personnel will have to take into account a myriad of issues ranging from human rights to journalistic code of ethics to respect for the freedom of the press. It is not uncommon for the establishment to point an accusing finger at the media, especially the local papers, of being biased in their reporting and for unnecessarily sensationalizing news that paint the security personnel in a bad light.
While then may be some truth in the observance of the establishment, we would like to say that the whole thing boil down to responsibility. If the media persons and the military authority act with responsibilities then we are sure there will be no room for misunderstanding. Responsibility is the key word. And of course realizing that responsibility should ultimately benefit the public.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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