Padma Shri Awardee Arup Dutta Calls for Introspection on National Press Day

Padma Shri awardee and noted author Arup Kumar Dutta Noted traced the changing face of mass media in India from the time as a young nation to the present day, highlighting the challenges of financial sustainability while maintaining its credibility and objectivity. 

Delivering a lecture on 'Changing Dynamics of Mass Media: Freedom and Credibility' organized by the Gauhati Press Club on the occasion of National Press Day on Saturday, Arup Dutta stressed the role of the reader and viewer in helping media regain and retain its neutrality and work as watchdog of the society. 

He emphasized that National Press Day is not a time for celebration, but for introspection. Dutta elaborated on how the changes in media ownership, outlook of journalists and audience taste have eroded media's trustworthiness over time. 

Arup Dutta said, “Advent of electronic media had an impact on print media, while the free internet and social media are putting pressure on electronic media to change itself to meet the public demands.”

“All stakeholders must come together for media to regain its lost ground, with onus both on journalists and people in this regard,” he added.

Gauhati Press Club President Sushmita Goswami and General Secretary Sanjoy Ray, senior journalists Sushanta Talukdar, Nitumoni Saikia, Montu Saikia, Utpal Parashar, Rajib Lochan Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti Pathak, Shah Alam and other member-journalists were present on the occasion.