India News

By Felix Anthony

Mumbai,  Dec 2 : The members of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) have expressed concern over the failure of the media to be the watchdog of governance in the country at their 26th National Convention held at St. Paul’s Media Complex at Bandra in Mumbai on 1 December 2021.

The theme of the convention was ‘Hit the Streets: Listen, Encounter, Engage’ based on Pope Francis’s message for the 55th World Communications Day 2021 which focuses on “Come and See (Jn 1:46): Communicating by Encountering People Where and as They Are.”

Speaking at the inaugural function, Justice Aloysius Aguiar, former Judge of Bombay High Court, said, “A good journalist is one who hits the street in pursuit of truth despite all the hardships and threats to life. But unfortunately the Fourth Pillar of democracy in the country has failed in its sacred duty of scrutinizing the government’s policies and programmes; instead it has turned out to be a pliable institution trying to live out of the ‘favours’ dished out by the government.”

More than 30 Christian journalists from across the country were present for the national convention held after a gap of two years, due to the pandemic situation.

The Esclasial advisor to ICPA, Bishop Salvadore Lobo, reminded the participants of how Jesus should be the role model for every journalist. “Jesus hit the street to listen to the different stories of the people, encountered them at their different walks of life and engaged them to bring about lasting transformation”, the Bishop Lobo said.

In a panel discussion on the theme, the three speakers Mohan Sivanand, former editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest, Father Cedric Prakash and Dr. Shaison Ouseph, Head of Department for Film and Television, Xavier Institute of Communications, expressed concern over how media has failed to be a watchdog and instead it has become a tool to peddle fake news and spread misinformation and a means to malign individuals and denigrate communities.

In a press release at the end of the convention, the President of the ICPA, Ignatius Gonsalves, said, “The call of the convention to the Catholic communicators, therefore, is to hit the streets by listening, encountering and engaging with the people on the ground. Like Jesus our Master who has taught us what communication is all about, we need to take a visible and a vocal stand for truth and justice. We have to take journalism as a potent weapon in the fight against unjust systems in society and where justice is denied to people. This should be our non-negotiable motto which alone will create the desired result.”

Sister Sujata Jena, a nun-political-activist belonging to the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Odisha, Father Cedric Prakash, a well known Jesuit activist Priest based in Gujarat and Ranchi based Hindi based magazine Nishkalanka, were awarded during the convention for their courageous contribution to the people through media activism.

The final statement made at the convention called for the journalists to have the courage to heal the illness plaguing the society. “Today we pledge to listen to the people, encounter and engage with them to make our communication more effective and responsive until that time truth, justice, reconciliation and peace prevail”, the statement concluded.