Shri P.T. Thomas Member of Legislative Assembly,
Prof. M. Leelavathi, noted Writer and Critic,
Shri R.S. Babu, Chairman, Kerala Media Academy,
Smt. Lakshmi Menon, Governing Council Member, National Innovation Foundation,
Dr. M. Shankar, Director, Institute of Communication,
Shri P.C. Suresh Kumar, Secretary, Kerala Media Academy,
Priyappetta Adhyapakare, Vidyarthikale,
Madhyama Suhruthukkale,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.

It gives me great joy to address this annual convocation of the Institute of Communication of theKerala Media Academy, an autonomous institution under the Government of Kerala.

Let me at the outset, congratulate all the students who have passed their examination and become qualified to serve as professionals in various media in advertising and in Public Relations.  I consider all these young professionals fortunate to have been blessed by Prof. M. Leelavathi an outstanding teacher and one of the most respected writers in Malayalam.

I also place on record my appreciation for the Kerala Media Academy, which has been promoting the cause of informed Media studies since its inception in 1979. As we all know, it was the Kerala Press Academy, started as a joint venture of the Government of Kerala, Kerala Union of Working Journalists and the Indian Newspaper Society, which was renamed as the Kerala Media Academy in 2014. The renaming of this Academy indicates its positive response to the transformation of the media scenario the world over.

In a convocation, it is customary to address the graduands and therefore, let me remind the Diploma holders that what you have earned today is not a license, but a great responsibility. The Diploma you have received is certainly a recognition of your academic efforts in the past year, but it is also a caution to act more responsibly in society. A person who steps into journalism of any kind must be aware of the social role he or she would be playing.

Historically, journalism in India has evolved from the noble intentions that powered the freedom struggle. In fact, the freedom struggle was also marked by strong journalistic endeavors which elevated journalists to the level of social activists.  In later years also, the media have helped to mobilize the masses, instilled a sense of nationalism and propagated the ideals of democracy, equality and freedom. It is therefore not surprising that our Constitution has guaranteed the Freedom of the Press by implication, as part of the right of every citizen to express his or her views freely. You may recall that though the Legislature and the Judiciary have been empowered by the Constitution to step in whenever necessary, the Press, or the Fourth Pillar of Democracy does not strictly enjoy such a provision. But, the Constitution has rightly allowed this freedom, since an independent Press is universally regarded as a corner stone of democracy.

The civil society all over the world stands up for the freedom of the Press and therefore, the Press has a responsibility to  prove to be worthy of this trust. It is here that we emphasize the need for ethical practices in journalism. Undoubtedly, ethical practices   must be a way of life, right from the very beginning of your career.

The young journalists assembled here are entering the profession at a time when Truth is being blurred by Post Truth and the Editorial is struggling under Advertorials and Paid News is effacing real News.  The very concept of news is changing and leaning towards entertainment. All these trends are challenges that could prevent a free Press from performing its role as a credible watchdog in democracy.

As a former judge of the Supreme Court, I must remind you that the Apex Court once termed freedom of speech and of the press asthe Ark of the Covenant of Democracy, since people's criticism is essential to the working of society's institutions.  However, criticism would be a service if it is done positively. Unfortunately, much of our criticism has become unjust attacks, which reminds us of Gandhiji's observation that an uncontrolled pen serves but to destroy.

However, Gandhiji also believed that for the Media, it was better to have control from within the system rather than from outside. It means, like the media, each person engaged in writing or expression of ideas or views has to be responsible.  Our ethical practices must extend to the coverage of women and children. I am happy that our media have now started following the guidelines issued to protect the rights of women and children, especially in their unfortunate role as victims.

I must also remind you that the context of what we report is equally important as the content of the news. Quite often,
I see fragments of a sentence being cleverly culled out and made into a sensation. The ethical practice of explaining the context of that sentence is unfortunately, not followed.

It is not just the news that is changing; even the concept of the medium is undergoing changes with the advent of the Internet and the social media. But, the unregulated and reckless use of social media has made media education essential among the ordinary people too. As an institution moulding young journalists, the Kerala Media Academy could initiate a campaign for responsible social media handling, so that our youth will not fall prey to the lure of mud-slinging through on-line platforms. I am certain that the Media Clubs to be formed in schools by the Media Academy would help in such a media literacy among children.

As the judge who heard the case and gave the verdict pertaining to the implementation of the “Majithia Wage Board recommendations,”I had an opportunity to study the Media scene at close quarters.  I have always felt that the periodic wage revision and other facilities for Journalists should be carried out to ensure that media-persons can live in dignity and perform their work fearlessly and independently. However, security at the work-place is one area that seems to be neglected in the case of journalists, especially those in the visual media. I hope associations of journalists would take up such issues with the managements.

In conclusion, I would emphasize the importance of learning for every young journalist. The world is changing at the speed of thought and knowledge is expanding every minute. Your diploma course is over, but the pace of your education will have to be doubled, if you have to succeed in life. So, I wish you a life of active learning from society.

I also wish you the strength to stand with the marginalized people who need help and to support the downtrodden so that each action of yours contributes to the strengthening of our democracy. Tomorrow's journalism is in your hands; be professionally and ethically strong enough to protect it.

I compliment the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind

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