The Hindu : National : ``Parliamentary proceedings coverage poor''

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Friday, May 06, 2005

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National

``Parliamentary proceedings coverage poor''

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Inadequate media coverage of parliamentary proceedings came up for discussion in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, with Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta lamenting the tendency to report sensational episodes such as disruptions and boycotts and ignore meaningful debates.

Mr. Dasgupta said he was a keen advocate of press freedom — a point articulated by all the members who echoed his concern — but unless there was ``something unusual'' such as a boycott or disruption of the House, there was very little coverage in both the print and electronic media.

The issue, raised after question hour, found immediate support from a cross-section of members.

On the view that the media tended to sensationalise, Mr. Dasgupta said important debates seldom found mention in the print media, in particular. He cited Tuesday's discussion on a calling attention motion on the declining sex ratio.

``The media has a social responsibility, too,'' he said.

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said freedom of the press was a treasured feature of Indian democracy and it was up to the media to make its choice of news items.

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