At a time when serious questions are being asked over the work ethics of the media in the state, the Arunachal Electronic & Digital Media Association (AEDMA) on Monday appealed to its members to dedicate themselves to the promotion and growth of the media by maintaining journalistic ethics. This is a timely appeal and, hopefully, the journalists working in the state will introspect. In the last few years, the media, in particular digital media, have seen a sudden growth. Today, a large number of digital channels are operating in the state.
While the growth of media is always welcome as they play an important role in a democracy, in the race to compete with one another, the quality of journalism is often compromised and this is where the problem arises. The digital media in the state is still at a nascent stage and has a long way to go. There is still a lot of scope for improvement. The people of the state have massive expectations from the media and closely observe the work of the media. Being the fourth pillar of democracy, the press has to report responsibly. In a highly sensitive tribal state like Arunachal Pradesh, wrong reporting has the potential to cause social tension. The role of the media is to remain neutral and report only the truth. There should not be any compromise with it.