Kerala - Kannur   

`FDI part of effort to bring media under market forces'

Staff Reporter

KUWJ State meet seeks revocation of FDI in print media

KANNUR: Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) demanded revocation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the print media.

A resolution adopted by the KUWJ at its State conference which concluded here on Saturday said that the decision to permit FDI in the print media had to be seen in the context of the foreign investments being encouraged by Governments in the key strategic sectors of the country. The resolution said that the nod for FDI in the media was part of an initiative to bring independent and pro-people media activities under the control of market forces. The KUWJ would launch campaign and put up resistance against this move, it said.

The KUWJ demanded that the UPA Government announce new wage board to revise journalists' wages as the existing wage structure in the media industry had become outdated. Accusing the Central Government of being delinquent on the issue, the resolution said that interim relief be announced ahead of the constitution of the wage board.

A press release by the KUWJ said that the 43rd conference concluded that the challenges facing the journalists and their work as a result of the changing situations were plenty. The problems confronting the journalist fraternity and other working sections were not dissimilar. The conference decided to cooperate and share a broad common platform with other trade union organisations. The KUWJ would lead a joint agitation against unhealthy tendencies existing in the media industry, the release said.

Chandy on media role

Inaugurating the conference late evening on Friday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the media had a great role in the efforts to correct the unhealthy tendencies that have crept in democracy in the country.

He said that the vital issues concerning the people were often eclipsed by controversies and disputes being highlighted by the media.

``You have the right to point out faults and criticise. But you also have a big role to play for the development of the State,'' he told presspersons. Mr. Chandy also urged journalists to examine whether the issues concerning the people were duly reflected in the media coverage.

Requesting the full cooperation of presspersons to the Government's concerted efforts to implement the President's 10-point agenda, the Chief Minister said that the Government would be open to the views of all sections of society on the initiatives to be done to achieve the President's target. He also underlined the importance of tolerance in democracy, saying that the attack on presspersons was a display of the lack of tolerance.

Mr. Chandy said that the Government had decided in principle to issue accreditation facilities to journalists working in the news desk. Instruction had been give to clear pension arrears for retired journalists, he said.

The Government would not go ahead with cases registered against journalists in connection with their protest in Thiruvananthapuram, he said.

The valedictory session was inaugurated by Malayalam writer M. Mukundan. He expressed his solidarity with the scribes in their struggle to protect their independence and job security. KUWJ State president C. Gouridasan Nair presided over the function. A.P. Abdullakutty, MP, CPI leader Panniyan Raveendran, Congress(S) State president Ramachandran Kadannappally and union general secretary N. Padmanabhan, were present.

New office-bearers: Padmanabha Venugopal (treasurer), Navas Punnur, K.C. Rajagopal (vice-presidents), Ashok Srinivas, S. Biju and K. Ravikumar (secretaries).

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