MERI Mirror, April' 2020

Challenges for journalists
- By Anoosha Jamal
Journalism plays a crucial role in our democratic society. People always depends
upon journalism to gather information. In hard situations, it guides the public
about their responsibilities, what to do, what not to do, who to call, where to go,
how to go, etc. In a pandemic situation, journalism is an essential service for the
public as it provides daily updates. It is necessary for journalists to furnish
regular updates to the mob about the number of new infections, deaths due to
pandemic, and recovered patients. During the lockdown, people need to know
about the happenings in the society and it can be possible only through
journalism. Journalists also informs the public about various plans of the
government to slow down the spread of COVID-19 such as implementation of a
lockdown, extension of lockdown, essential services that are not restricted due
to lockdown and activities announced by PM Modi to give appreciation and
boost the confidence of all the persons involved in providing essential services
such as doctors & nurses and patients. It also helps the needy people by giving
advertisement of organisations that are providing ration services. Nowadays,
dissemination of news is very easy and very common and it is because of social
media where people just forward the pseudo news without checking its facts,
that leads to spreading of rumours which is harmful for the society in these type
of situations, for example, after the extension of lockdown thousands of
labourers gathered on a railway station in Maharashtra believing in the rumour
that special train would take them home, which is erroneous as at this time of
social distancing, these type of gatherings would badly affect the society. So this
has to be stopped. Public should not address the thoughts without clearing the
facts, if they can not stop this at least they should not reinforce it.
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