People's Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
No. 12
March 24, 2013
|
Vol. XXXVII
No. 12 March 24, 2013 |
DUJ Opposes
Restrictive Move
THE
Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has criticises the move of
the Press Council
of India (PCI) to lay down minimum academic qualifications for
journalists and
get them legally institutionalised. The DUJ strongly felt that
this is a
regressive measure with a potential of making the profession
restrictive and
consequently undemocratic.
In
a statement issued from New Delhi on March 13, the DUJ said
the move would not
only impact the coverage of news and views which would
obviously reflect the
bias of the privileged to the detriment of the masses at
large, but also bar
the many not formally educated but talented persons from
entering the
profession, of whom we have scores of instances of rising to
the top.
Ironically,
the DUJ pointed out, the idea would defeat the very purpose of
existence of the
Press Council of India --- to ensure freedom
of expression and growth of
the press and curb all restrictive practices.
