New Delhi: Observing that paid news is a
"serious issue" that does not allow truth to come out, Union
Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday said such a trend needs to be
corrected.
Sibal said the concept of paid news should be done
away with to allow "healthy debates" on serious issues. "Paid
news does not allow truth to come out and is a serious issue
that needs to be corrected," Sibal said at the award function
of 'Business Standard' newspaper here.
He also said that the political process needs to match
with the change that the country is going through and asked
media to play a constructive role by highlighting
development issues.
"India is going through enormous change. But the
response of political process does not match with this
development. Here journalists can play a good role as we have
free press," he said.
To match with the changes taking place in the country,
he said it is important for the establishment to respond in a
constructive role.
Talking about paid news, Sibal said, "During
elections, I faced it, experienced it. It is not even
political advertisement in which things are written about the
good things that one has done. It does not allow truth to come
out."
The minister said the young professionals who are
well-trained and know their responsibility and aware about the
areas that they cover are a way out of this impasse.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 16:29