New Delhi, March 27 (PTI): Speakers at a national conference on media here Sunday demanded that journalists be given facilities of pension and insurance.
They stressed that media has to thrive for democracy to prosper.
Journalists should be given the facility of pension. Scribes should also get insurance, given the fact that they have to cover difficult situations, said Chandreshwar Prasad Singh, a veteran politician and former Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly.
He was addressing the National Conference on Media as an Actor in Democracy' hosted by the Federation of PTI Employees Unions.
The Press Council of India should act as the guardian for the independence of journalists, said Ashok Updhayay, a veteran editor.
Supriya Shrinate, national spokesperson of the Congress, noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, journalists worked relentlessly to put out reports.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kailash Soni, who chaired the conference, said without the media, democracy cannot stand on its own.
"Media provides the leaders with a direction. Media also plays a constructive role as the opposition in a democracy... Responsible and reliable action is of the greatest importance, he added.
Indian Federation of Working Journalists president K Vikram Rao and the Federation of PTI Employees' Unions general secretary Balram Singh Dahiya also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Atanu Pal was unanimously re-elected as president and Balram Singh Dahiya as general secretary of the Federation of PTI Employees' Unions at its annual general meeting here on Sunday.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from news agency feeds and has not been edited by The Morung Express.
Source: PTI
