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`Media, police should not harm society's interests'

Staff Reporter

TENHIPALAM: The media and the police should make sure that they do not harm the common interests of society, said Tamil Nadu Additional Director-General of Police K. Vijay Kumar here on Saturday.

At a seminar on "Crime and media," organised by the Mass Communication Alumni Association of Calicut University here on Saturday, Mr. Vijay Kumar, known for his exploits during the Veerappan trail, said that every reporter must realise that there would be a point beyond which he or she should not go.

He said media should penetrate the minds of people, and be practical.

Even while going in depth when reporting crime, the media should continue to be appealing, he said.

He warned that everyone should consider himself or herself as a potential crime victim.

"What if it happens to me" should be the question one should ask.

Mr. Vijay Kumar said that media was often ahead of the police in tracking crimes and criminals.

Defining crime

He reminded the media of its role in defining crime.

"What is crime today may not be crime tomorrow," he said.

Crime reporters should remember that criminals rejected society as the latter rejected them, he said.

Citing the example of Auto Shankar, who was hanged for a series of crimes, Mr. Vijay Kumar said that cinema was the sole influence on Shankar in turning him into a criminal.

Syed Amjed Ahmed, Director of Educational Multimedia Research Centre, Calicut University, introduced the subject. V.S. Sasibhooshanan Nair, Head of the Department of Mass Communication of the university, was the moderator. Sucheta Nair, faculty member, delivered the concluding remarks.

Another seminar on new media was organised exclusively for journalism students from colleges under the University. An exhibition of paintings by Ajeeb Komachi marked the meet.

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