I&B minister Anurag Thakur slams TV channels for polarising debates

NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Tuesday that the threat to traditional media comes from polarising debates and spread of false narratives, not digital platforms.

Real journalism is about facing facts, presenting the truth, and letting all sides air their views, Thakur said while inaugurating the 47th annual gathering and 20th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in New Delhi.

“Your decisions regarding the guest, the tone and visual define your credibility in the eyes of the audience. The viewer may stop for a minute to watch your show, but he will never trust your anchor, your channel or brand as a trusted and transparent source of news,” the minister said.

Polarising debates damage the credibility of TV channels, the minister said. “Are you going to watch as the younger audience switches and sweeps through the shrill on TV news or are you going to bring back neutrality in news and discussion in debates to stay ahead of the game?”

Thakur praised AIBD’s leadership during Covid-19 for keeping member countries connected.

The minister said media, in all their forms, have the ability to shape public perceptions. “It is imperative to create an enabling environment for our journalist and broadcaster friends for making the space of media more vibrant and rewarding.”

The AIBD was established in 1977 under the auspices of Unesco. It is a regional inter-governmental organisation servicing countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). AIBD is hosted by the Government of Malaysia and the secretariat is located in Kuala Lumpur.