Important role for media in consensus building:PM

New Delhi, Apr 12 (UNI) In an era where political parties of diverse constituencies are trying to work together in complex coalitions, the national media has an important role to play in the process of consensus building, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said.

''For a country to move forward, any government has to ensure consensus on many issues across a wide spectrum of political opinion... If media is content with focusing only on disagreements, who will widen the area of agreement?'' Dr Singh said after presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism here this morning.

Underlining that the world's largest democracy is not built on the simple principle of the rule of the majority, but on the idea of unity in diversity, he said the media must come to terms with the ''great liberal idea'' of consensus.

Dr Singh also had a word on the touchstone of journalism - objectivity - emphasising there is nothing wrong in taking sides in newspaper columns. ''Objectivity does not imply neutrality. It implies respect for truth and facts, and a willingness to take positions, howsoever contrarian or contentious.'' The Prime Minister, who had a year ago raised concern over the ''quantitative growth of our media outpacing qualitative development'', this time said the media tend to give greater coverage to those who articulate extreme views.

''Their voice is heard more often on television, and in newspapers. All of this is, perhaps, more entertaining,'' Dr Singh said pointing out in a democracy, however, extremist formations have to moderate themselves and move to the centre.

The best example of this change, he said without naming them, was the DMK in Tamil Nadu which was created to champion secessonism, and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who belongs to a party that pledged itself to overthrow bourgeois democracy.

''Who would have imagined fifty years ago that a political party in Tamil Nadu created to champion secessionsim would one day move to the very heart of our national politics? Who could have imagined fifty years ago that a Communist leader, belonging to a party that pledged itself to overthrow 'bourgeois democracy' and establish the 'dictatorship of the proletariat', would so proudly and dignifiedly occupy the chair of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha?'' he asked.

In this process of moderation and consensus building, the media must play a constructive role, he said.

Saying the country was standing at the ''threshold of a new era'', Dr Singh said the world wants India to do well but hurdles at home and roadblocks in minds have to be overcome to realise the full potential of the people. The man, who singlehandedly took India towards a market economy, quoted Karl Marx to drive home his point. ''When an idea captures the minds of men, it becomes a material force.'' Earlier, the Prime Minister paid tributes to the founder of the Indian Express Group, Ramnath Goenka, saying few publishers have defended the freedom of the press with as much passion and conviction as he did.

Freedom of the press is more than just the freedom of publishers and editors, it is the freedom of the society to have its voice heard, he said adding the media have to give voice to the voiceless not just to those who are willing to shout.

The awards were given in 15 categories in the print and broadcast media with many honours for regional reporting. Varghese K George (The Indian Express) and Praveen Swami (The Frontline) shared the 'Journalist of the Year, Print' award while NDTV's Burkha Dutt received the 'Journalist of the Year, Broadcast' prize.

UNI