Rodrigues calls upon journalists to maintain professional standards

Chandigarh, May 2 (UNI) Strongly pleading for the freedom of the Press, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Union Territory Administrator S F Rodrigues today called upon journalists to adhere to ethics of journalism and maintain high professional standards while carrying out their responsibility objectively and fearlessly.

Media, being an important instrument of social change, needs to play a pro-active role in strengthening democracy and speeding up the developmental process, he said in a message on World Press Freedom Day.

General (retd.) Rodrigues said the media played a crucial role in moulding a public opinion, promoting democratic principles and strengthening social and economic order, thereby contributing towards national development and harmonious international social order.

He said that healthy criticism in a democratic society was welcome but it ceased to be objective when it did not take note of achievements. He said that code of conduct, already existing in the system, emphasized the need for a self-regulating approach to be adopted by journalists. This approach, he said, was more relevant in the present context when there was a rapid increase in the number of newspapers and electronic audio-visual channels.

" Let us renew our resolve to commit ourselves to ensure the freedom of our Press to contribute to the creation of knowledge society and facilitating the process of good governance, social equality and prosperity of people, irrespective of any distinction of caste, creed and religion", he said.

UNI