‘Accuracy more important than speed: I&B minister Anurag Thakur’s advice to media
Anurag Thakur said “while speed with which the information is transmitted is important, accuracy is even more important and should be primary in the minds of communicators”
NEW DELHI: Accuracy of information put out by media organisations is more important than the speed at which the information is transmitted, Union information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Anurag Thakur said on Tuesday.
“Presenting authentic information is the prime responsibility of media and facts should be properly checked before they are put in the public domain,” the minister said at the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union General Assembly organized by India’s public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati.
He said the media was at the core of the country’s national disaster management plans and that events relating to earthquakes, fire and terrorist attacks should be reported with responsibility. “Media must ensure that any live reporting in case of a terrorist attack should not provide clues to the attackers and their ill motives,” he said.
The minister said fake news has proliferated with the spread of social media and it was to counter this challenge that the government’s information dissemination wing, the Press Information Bureau, has set up a fact check unit to counter unverified claims circulating on social media.
According to the ministry statement, Thakur also credited the media for coming to the aid of people during the Covid-19 pandemic when they were stuck at home.
“The Covid-19 crisis was a testing time for people across the globe. It was the media that connected people with the outside world when the lockdowns were in full effect… The Indian media ensured important government guidelines for Covid-19. awareness messages reached people. In such situations, providing the right and timely information becomes the media’s responsibility,” he said.
The minister asked the media to become a partner in governance, saying it should act as a link between government and people and provide continuous feedback, both at a national and regional level”.