Germany pitches for strengthening media relations

There is a lot to tell about India beyond reports on poverty, rape and communal violence, German Ambassador Martin Ney said here today as he felt German journalists posted in India could do better justice while covering it, which is a "meritable challenge".
In his opening remarks at the Indo-German Media Dialogue, organised by DW Akademie and the German Embassy, Ney pitched for strengthening media relations between the two countries.
"When my colleagues and I talk to people in Germany about India, many of those who have not spent time in India, but take the knowledge about the country from the media in Germany, ask us mostly about poverty, rape, communal violence.

"Of course, there are problems in India. And people should be informed about them too. But there's so much more to tell about India," Ney said.
Ney said there are "exciting" societal transformations taking place in India, which is witnessing economic reforms and offers business opportunities and advanced technology.
"Without doubt, portraying India's diversity and simultaneous presence of extreme contrast, is a meritable challenge. Nevertheless, I personally feel, that German media could do better justice to India," he added.

Ney described Indian media as "huge with mind boggling scale, vivid and sometimes noisy" and added the dialogue will help strengthen the media relations between the two democracies.

He observed that Indian media houses don't have their correspondents deputed in Germany and depend on Anglo-Saxon agency to know about happenings in the European nation. He also asked the media houses here to have their correspondents in Germany to ensure "first hand impression".
"...There is not a single Indian newspaper or TV station that has a correspondent in Germany. As a result, there is no authentically Indian voice from Germany, no Indian journalist to analyse on-the-ground whatever happens in Germany, in the service of Indian reader
"... In the lights of very close Indo-German partnership in many areas, I would wish Indian media to rely on the first hand impression from Germany," he said.

On the other hand, apart from freelance scribes, as many as six German media organisations have editorial departments in India, he said adding that few other German publications cover Indian affairs from Singapore and Thailand.