'Pvt Channels should pay more attention to credibility of news'

Kolkata, Sep 17 (UNI) Trivialisation, commercialisation and sensationalisation of news by private channels is a fad and will pass away soon, observed All India Radio Director General P K Bandopadhyay.

Talking to newspersons at an orientation workshop for part time correspondents and stringers in West Bengal zone, Mr Bandopadhyay said, ''The main objective is credibility of news and stress should be given on it.'' Criticising a few vernacular and national private channels, he DG said the correspondents reporting from the spot should give factual stories and not fabricated ones to have more TRPs for the channels. He also cautioned against opinionated news.

Citing an example about private channels' reports on Nandigram, Mr Bandopadhyay said, ''The reporters did not know the difference between a chemical hub and the SEZ. Such misinformations can lead to serious consequences.'' He lamented that present day reporters spoke with an accent and incorrectly pronounced the names of places and persons.

The workshop organised by Akashvani and Doordarshan would end on September 19 and provide synergistic informations and make the stringers effectively face the challenges in the field of reporting.

UNI