The Vice President Venkaiah Naidu urged the media to effectively function as Means of Empowerment for Development through Informed Actions of people. He also stressed on the need for a positive and constructive public discourse in the country on all major issues and reminded the media of it's role in the same.
Addressing the professionals of Rajya Sabha Television (RSTV) Naidu said “Public discourse should not be negative, acrimonious and divisive. It should unite the people and should not seek to divide them”. Naidu hosted High Tea for about 100 RSTV professionals on the occasion of the channel one million YouTube subscriber base this month.
Naidu complimented RSTV for gaining 5,74,378 new subscribers during the last ten months as against 4,25,622 subscribers acquired during the earlier six years since the launch of the channel in August, 2011.
Naidu said “A nation’s forward march is impacted by the public discourse in the country. Such a discourse needs to be positive and constructive aimed at collectively addressing the challenges being faced by the nation”.
The Vice President further said “Media, as the fourth pillar of democracy has an important role in facilitating such a positive discourse. It needs to highlight the problems, deficiencies in policy and governance at various levels and present different perspectives so that people can make informed decisions. Media can be and in fact needs to be critical without, however, being motivated”.
Stating that RSTV is an institution of Parliament, Naidu said that the editorial policy and coverage of the channel should be guided by the mandate of the Parliament which is catalysing the cause of socio-economic development by addressing the contemporary and future challenges.
