By: Y Bala Murali Krishna

Panaji, Oct 13 (UNI) Experts expressed divided opinion as to whether the media has abdicated its responsibility to safeguard human rights in South Asia, but were unanimous to say that the media should maintain restraint in intruding into privacy of individuals.

''Human rights stories should be credible and their reporting maintain highest standrds. At the same time, editors should develop the mindset to encourage reporting of the human rights stories in different media units,'' the media experts opined.

The experts were participating in an interactive session on ''Safeguarding Human Rights: Has the media abdicated its responsibility?'' as part of the three-day South Asia Media Colloquim-2006 on ''Media and Development with a Human Face'' here today.

The event was organised jointly by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre of India (AMIC-India) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES)(Germany) in collaboration with the International Centre, Goa(ICF).

AMIC chairman Vijay Menon, FES senior media advisor Rajeshwar Dayal, and ICG Director M Rajaretnam inaugurated the session by lighting the traditional lamp. More than 40 delegates from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, representing different media organisations, were participating.

Most of the participants took serious exception to the electronic media, particularly the television, intruding into privacy of individuals for boosting their respective TRP ratings without concern for the victims of violations.

''The media personnel require training to polish their skills,'' says Radhika Nanda, representing Lok Saha Chennel of Doordarshan.

Others, including assistant professor of Anna University, Chennai Arul Aram, said media should matain its plurality and representing the different voices in the pluralistic, caste-ridden society.

''People expect the media to be champions of the human rights and we have to stand up to them. This needs building of networks with other media partners in the society and make the people aware of the Right to Information Act,'' others said.

Mr Ramachandran of Tribune, Chandigarh said media had been reporting violations of the human rights only when it suited their agenda.

He cited the example of ''elitist bias'' of the media projecting the interests of the upper castes in the background of the reservations to other backward classes as against educating the people on the constitutional provisions of the reservations per se.

The session was chaired by a noted media activist Rita Manhanda (India), Tilak Phokarel (Nepal's Khatmandu Post), Nusrat Javed (Pakistan) and Inam Ashmed (Daily Star-Bangladesh) besides Arul Aram mooted the debate.

Mr Javed said two of his compatriots from Pakistan could not attend the conference with the Indian High Commission not giving visas to them at the eleventh hour.

Pakistan media, he said, did not abdicate its responsibility despite severe constraints in the existing political dispensation in the neighbouring state, particularly in reporting human rights violations and conflicts of sensitive nature.

''We are doing our best despite threat to our lives, particularly on various issues in Baluch and Baluchistan region. Many became jobless because they reported violations of human rights,'' Mr Javeed said.

Mr Inam cited the example of the Bangladesh media which championed the cause of a woman who deposed in a court that the accused was the murderer of her husband. This had ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court accepting her statement and punishing the judge.

Media, he said, should take note of the occurings in the hinterlands and rural areas as the development reports of columnist Sainadu did in the Hindu daily, reflecting the how and why of the farmers' suicides in rural and naxalite-prone Warangal and Nizamabad districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Ms Rita sought media attention on human rights violations behind various agitations such as those in Kalinganagar area or Orissa against building of a series of steel plants without simply quashing them as mere ''law and order problems''.

The human rights stories need to be credible and report highest standards, she said, amid demand for ''attention of the editors more on human rights violations in the society than on entertainment sector. There are again more such violations in the very entertainment sector itself, which needed exposure.

Others observed that the media in Sri Lanka continued to be divided betwen Sinhalese and Tamils, while others questioned tendency of media bashing with the television indulding in ''gimmics and tricks'' to gain attractive TRP ratings.

UNI BM SSS SHB DB2011