National Press Day Celebrated with aplomb

National Press Day Celebrated with aplomb

Itanagar, Nov 17:Information and Public Relations (IPR) Minister Nyato Dukam has called upon journalists in Arunachal Pradesh to adhere to ethical standards in their reporting.

Speaking at the National Press Day celebration organized by the Arunachal Press Club (APC) and Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ), in collaboration with Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Dukam expressed concern over the declining ethical standards in journalism.

He emphasized the importance of accurate and unbiased reporting and urged journalists to prioritize the public interest. Dukam also highlighted the challenges faced by journalists in the digital age, particularly the spread of misinformation and fake news.

The minister also addressed the issue of journalist identification and the long-pending implementation of the Arunachal Pradesh Electronic Media Advertisement Policy and Journalist Pension Scheme. He assured that the government would take steps to address these concerns and work closely with APC and APUWJ to improve the working conditions of journalists.

Biyuram Wahge, the Health and Family Welfare Minister, called upon the media to maintain a balanced approach in their reporting. He emphasized the importance of highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of the state government's work.
The minister acknowledged that media plays a crucial role in informing the public and holding the government accountable. However, he stressed the need for responsible journalism, urging journalists to be cautious and adhere to ethical principles.

Meanwhile, APC President Dodum Yangfo and APUWJ President Amar Sangno also stressed on the core principles of journalism ethics. They dwelt on truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and impartiality, humanity and accountability while reporting any story.

Among others, APC General Secretary, Damien Lepcha, APUWJ General Secretary Sonam Jelly, IJU-NEC member Taya Bagang also spoke on the day. The National Press Day celebration was attended by a large number of journalists, media professionals, and government officials.

The Arunachal Times Correspondent Karyir Riba and Freelance Journalist Samshum Changmi have won V, Ravindran Excellence in Journalism Awards 2024, in the print category.
Riba won in the human-interest category for her article titled "Orange Bowl of Arunachal Coming undone” published in The Arunachal Times. Riba in her stories highlighted the declining orange production. Riba is based at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district. He has been writing on a range of issues concerning the district.

Changmi won in the two categories in both Investigative and Politics and Governance for his articles, “illegal Mining in Changlang: Coal Crisis need for action” and "PDS, in Changlang, a broken promise to poor” published in The Arunachal Times.Changmi put spotlight on illegal mining in Changlang and exposed failed PDS in the district.

In the electronic category, Newsfy Chief Reporter Yomge Chisi, Ater Bengia, Editor of The Network won the prestigious Taro Chatung Excellence in Journalism Awards 2024.
Chisi was awarded for her excellence in the investigative and human-interest category for her stories, ‘Arunachal: Capital sex racket nightmare’ and ‘Arunachal horror: Yumken Bagra linked to 2 alleged deaths and suicide attempts’, respectively.

Meanwhile, Ater Bengia bagged the award for her story, ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh: Chimpu Dumpyard’.
Chisi expressed that working on sensitive stories, such as cases of sexual abuse involving minors, is always challenging. Convincing the victims or their caretakers to engage in an interview requires immense trust and sensitivity.

Ater Bengia extended her heartfelt gratitude to Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists and Arunachal Press Club for their steadfast support, guidance, and belief in the power of journalism.

This year, the jury also introduced a category to recognise the skills and hard work put through by the cameraman. Accordingly, Newsfy Cameraman Akom Tanju Don and The Network cameran Ronit Kumar was also felicitated on the day.

The V Ravindran & Taro Chatung Excellence in Journalism Awards were constituted by the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists in 2014. Initially, the award was called the Him-Kai Excellence in Journalism Awards, which was a portmanteau of Himalayas & Patkai mountain ranges that run across Arunachal Pradesh.

The award is an attempt to recognize and honour the unrelenting work that journalists working in the state do. Like scholarly works across the globe, APUWJ believes that peer recognition is the highest form of appreciation of journalistic work.

Accordingly, entries are judged by a panel of judges consisting of acclaimed personalities of intellect and senior journalists from the state and across North-East India
The awards are held annually and carry with them citation & cash prizes.