Senior journalists and a former top bureaucrat stressed that the core responsibility of the media to provide credible information to the public remains unchanged despite technological advancement, shifting political dynamics, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI).
In a session titled “Media and Policy Discourse,” during the “The Punjab Plan: Policy and Governance Summit” held in Chandigarh on Wednesday, the panellists deliberated on how technology has transformed media production and news consumption.
Asserting that the print media has already expanded beyond traditional formats, Jyoti Malhotra, Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune, said that leading newspapers now operate across multiple digital platforms, producing videos, articles, and social media content. “ “Holding the mirror to the powers-that-be remains the core function of joys lists even as the media rapidly evolved to be more diverse and technology-driven”, she added.
Former Punjab chief secretary and chief information commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh pointed out that the media landscape has undergone a transformation due to three major factors: changing political dynamics, the rise of capitalism in the media industry driven by the high cost of resources, and rapid technological developments.
Speaking about the challenges faced by legacy print media, Ramesh Vinayak, Executive Editor, Hindustan Times, said that while the media landscape has become more crowded and competitive , the core function of journalism continues to ensure the delivery of information of public interest in a timely and credible form. “The greatest strength of legacy media lies in its credibility and institutional mechanisms for fact-checking, an area where social media often falls short,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking about the challenges faced by legacy print media, Ramesh Vinayak, Executive Editor, Hindustan Times, said that while the media landscape has become more crowded and competitive , the core function of journalism continues to ensure the delivery of information of public interest in a timely and credible form. “The greatest strength of legacy media lies in its credibility and institutional mechanisms for fact-checking, an area where social media often falls short,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Rabindra Narayan, founder of GTC Network, argued that the present era could be considered a ‘golden period’ for media. He noted that launching a television channel may require a huge investment; however, today, an individual can simply create content on a mobile phone and share it on social media platforms.
Participating in the discussion, senior journalist Hamir Singh voiced concern over curtailed editorial freedom in mainstream media and inadequate representation of issues of farmers and marginalised sections in the newspapers and news channels.
The panellists also acknowledged that while AI tools are increasingly being used for tasks such as data analysis and fact-checking, it’s unlikely to replace human journalists.