Letter to BS: It's time to bid adieu to paid, fake news with determination

Ex-PM Pranab Mukherjee has expressed his utter dismay at the blurring of distinction between views and news

This refers to the well-timed piece, “All is not well with the media, says former President Pranab Mukherjee” (December 19). That a former president had to point out "orchestrated, out-of-context and motivated reporting for partisan agendas" and call for self-correcting measures to check such irregularities must truly awaken the conscience of all concerned. 

He has expressed his utter dismay at the blurring of distinction between views and news and exhorted media organisations not to compromise on their basic role of behaving like ever-alert watchdogs of the society. He also thought it wise to provide a comprehensive list of dos and don’ts. It becomes incumbent upon those at the helm of affairs to meticulously follow them. It's also time to bid adieu to paid and fake news. That would require a lot of determination and conviction, but that is the need of the hour.

S K Gupta, New Delhi

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