President Pranab Mukerjee hails the role of media

New Delhi, Nov 26: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday hailed the role media in upholding individual freedom and said that it has always fought authoritarian tendencies.

Releasing the book 'The Eighth Ring', an autobiography of late Chief Editor of Malayala Manorama group of newspapers K M Mathew at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he saluted the media as it has "never compromised with the right of individuals to speak as per their conviction" even though the degree of fight may have differed.

Mukherjee said the media including newspapers and periodicals, have made immense contribution since pre-independence.

At the function attended by a host of dignitaries from various walks of life, Mukherjee paid tributes to K M Mathew whom he had known personally, highlighting the role he played in expansion of the Malayala Manorama group which was even inter-linked with the freedom struggle.

"I knew K M Mathew since early days of my life which is neither too long nor too short -- in early 1970s," he said. Mukherjee said technology expansion will pose a problem to the media but expressed confidence that it will succeed in overcoming it.

Tracing the growth of media in the country over centuries, he said the newspapers established since then are doing reasonably well.

"However, technology will pose a problem. But I do feel that the Indian journalists and editors have the capacity to adjust and will adjust.

I am confident that the media will succeed in meeting the challenge posed by the technology. You may like it or not but it is going to be there," the President said.

He said while the old fashioned may feel threatened by the expansion of technology, there is no denying the fact that Internet has converted the world into a small village.

PTI