Keralam Chief Minister flays ‘unethical’ journalism, warns mainstream media against lowering standards

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has criticised what he described as the rise of “unethical journalism” in Keralam, warning mainstream media against compromising professional standards in the race for ratings and attention in the rapidly changing digital media landscape.Inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of the Thrissur Press Club on Saturday, Mr. Satheesan said some sections of the media had begun practising journalism “without professional courtesy or dignity” and cautioned established media organisations against following that path.“Some unethical journalism has already begun in Keralam. It is without any professional courtesy or dignity. But mainstream media with a tradition should not follow that path. They should show Keralam the way forward,” he said.Mr. Satheesan said the transition from print to visual and digital media had transformed journalism, but the implications of the change needed to be seriously examined.“Journalism is passing through a period of major change. We are moving from print to visual media and then to digital media. We have to seriously examine whether this is a qualitative change or otherwise,” he said.He was particularly critical of the lack of accountability for misinformation in the digital space. In contrast to the corrections traditionally published by newspapers, he said false reports could continue circulating for hours or even days without an adequate correction.“Earlier, if there was a mistake in a newspaper, a correction would appear the next day. Today, even after a false report is known to be wrong, it can continue from morning till midnight and beyond. There is no apology or correction,” he said.The Chief Minister also criticised the abusive nature of some social media discourse, noting that women were among those most frequently targeted.However, he stressed that criticism itself was an essential part of journalism and democracy and that political and administrative leaders should not be shielded from scrutiny.“I am not saying that the Chief Minister, Ministers, government or political leaders should not be criticised. Nobody is above criticism,” he said.“Without criticism, they will deteriorate . Healthy criticism is what helps us correct our mistakes and move in the right direction.”He said the media had a responsibility to question political, administrative and religious leadership whenever they deviated from the right path.At the same time, Mr. Satheesan urged mainstream media not to sacrifice its institutional legacy in an attempt to emulate the style and standards of social media.“Mainstream media should not descend to the level of social media. It has a tradition that must be maintained,” he said, pointing to the generations of journalists whose reading, experience, investigation and analysis had built the credibility of established media organisations.He urged young journalists to pursue professional excellence rather than merely chase ratings.“The aim should not be merely to get better ratings, but to become better journalists — to produce honest reports, analyse news and find stories of real value,” he said.Mr. Satheesan said press clubs and journalists’ organisations could not distance themselves from the responsibility of maintaining professional standards.“If there is a decline, all of them will have to answer for it because they are all responsible,” he said.Highlighting the legacy of the Thrissur Press Club, he recalled that it was inaugurated 50 years ago by former Chief Minister C. Achutha Menon and that its souvenir was released by senior Congress leader K. Karunakaran. The first Meet the Press programme at the club was also addressed by Mr. Karunakaran, who was then Home Minister.He said the Press Club had produced several journalists who later occupied senior positions in Kerala’s media and had developed a distinctive culture bringing journalists and political leaders together.Referring to Thrissur’s heritage, he said his first Budget had allocated funds for the renovation of Thekkinkad Maidan, with the aim of transforming it into a world-class public square.Youth Affairs Minister O.J. Janeesh was chief guest of the funtion, which was presided by Thrissur Press Club president M.B. Babu.