Gadkari promises positive steps to develop newspapers

 Media Coverage  |  31-08-2024

Amrut Mahotsav celebrations of Dainik Hindusthan gets underway

Lokmat News Network Amravati

In today’s rapidly changing times,  absence of thoughts is a major problem the country faces than the differences of opinions, said Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in Amravati on Friday.

“Democracy can only succeed when all its four pillars maintain a balance and the fourth pillar (newspaper) is doing a valuable job of maintaining it for the good of the country and  it is showing the right path to the society. Today, the society needs such type of dedicated journalism and the government will strongly support development of those newspapers that work for creating awareness among the public and its welfare measures,” the minister said.

Gadkari was addressing the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ celebrations of Dainik Hindusthan held at  Dr Someshwar Pusatkar Hall, Hanuman Vyam Prasarak Mandal, to mark its 75 years here on Friday.

He also assured positive government initiatives to develop the print media especially small newspapers for the welfare of society.  He said politicians must observe tolerance if something adverse is written against them as it is the right of the journalists to do so.

Chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha Dr Vijay Darda, president of Indian Newspaper Society, New Delhi, Rakesh Sharma, editor of Tarun Bharat Belgaum, Kiran Thakur, chief secretary of Hanuman Vyam Prasarak Mandal, Padma Shri Prabhakarrao Vaidya, former First Lady of Kerala  Dr Kamaltai Gawai, Ulhas Marathe, Dr. Anant Marathe, Dr. Suresh Rao Savdekar and other dignitaries were also present. Govt ads main source of income: Rakesh Sharma

A newspaper’s main source of income is government advertisements. Since the Corona pandemic,  government has stopped giving many government advertisements. As a result, newspapers are facing many problems. President of INS, Rakesh Sharma said Union minister Gadkari has taken the initiative and has assured that henceforth, advertisements regarding acquisition of land under road transport and highways department will be given to English newspapers as well as district-level newspapers that are registered in the list of the Central government. Dr Darda has lion’s share in INS building: Thakur

Editor-in-Chief of Belgaum Tarun Bharat, Kiran Thakur, while expressing his opinion said that Dr Vijay Darda has a lion’s share in the Rs 1,000 crore INS building in Mumbai today. Newspapers, which are collectively the fourth pillar of democracy, are today mainly influenced by capitalism. However, in such a situation, many newspapers are pursuing its goal and values of journalism. Amravati district’s pride, Dainik Hindusthan, is following the path of positive journalism . Dr Darda: Govts must stand firmly behind newspapers

During the Covid pandemic, newspapers faced several hurdles, but we are moving forward after overcoming it. Central and state governments need to stand firmly behind the newspapers, only then will democracy survive in its true sense, said chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha Dr Vijay Darda. “In recent times, spread of fake news has increased in  social media especially ‘WhatsApp University’. Problem with fake news is that it travels eight times faster. More than 50% of news that is reported goes to print without fact checking and this trend is very dangerous for the country,” said Dr Darda. “The importance of print media can never be underestimated. It only needs to maintain reliability. The print media is moving fast today because the common man has still turst in it. So, companies like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Tata One MG, Swiggy have the highest inclination towards newspapers,” he said, adding “Dainik Hindusthan is celebrating its Amrut Mahotsav and expectations are high from the paper. I extend by best wishes to the newspaper,” he added.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha Dr Vijay Darda, INS president Rakesh Sharma, editor of Tarun Bharat, Belgaum, Kiran Thakur and Vilas Marathe ligthing the traditional lamp to inaugurate the Amrut Mahotsav celebrations of Dainik Hindusthan in Amravati.

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