Media duty-bound to hold officials accountable while not being overly pessimistic about pace of transformation, says Malini Parthasarathy of The Hindu Group

Malini Parthasarathy, chairperson, The Hindu Group Publishing Pvt. Ltd., told students in Manipal that it is a sad fact that, over the decades, while digital technology has become a way of life and is a principal disseminator of news content, public scepticism about news and media organisations is becoming more pronounced

News media and journalists will retain public trust in journalism in the digital age by staying true to cardinal principles and telling the truth as transparently as possible, without bias and fear, said Malini Parthasarathy, chairperson, The Hindu Group Publishing Pvt. Ltd., in Manipal on Wednesday October 19.

Delivering the 13th M.V. Kamath endowment lecture, organised by the Manipal Institute of Communication of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), on the topic ‘Retaining public trust in journalism in the digital age’, she said, “By virtue of our wide reach to our audience in a democratic society, it is indeed our duty to hold public officials accountable while not being overly pessimistic about the pace of transformation…

“We must ensure that we are not ostriches in the sand, and that we are on top of the rapidly changing technology environment. We should function with the latest tools of digital technology even as we engage intelligently with media platforms, ensuring our brands stay connected with our audiences online and offline...”

Ms. Parthasarathy said that it is a sad fact that, over the decades, while digital technology has become a way of life and is a principal disseminator of news content, public scepticism about news and media organisations is becoming more pronounced.

“...Legacy brands, including ours, need to reckon with this relentless reality of digital technology becoming the main disseminator of content for consumers and thereby creating a connect with the users, shaping news content to align with the preferences of these consumers…,” Ms. Parthasarathy said.

The gap that is emerging between the old modes of journalism and the new media platforms is also eroding public trust in the news industry, with social media appropriating the role of the arbiter of the trustworthiness and credibility of news content and content providers, in other words, news organisations.

“...Unlike in past decades, when star editors were able to fascinate their reading public with their analyses and punditry, and when readers were in thrall to editorialists offering judgement, savouring the news reports on every page of the newspaper, now we are faced with a young, aspirational, and globally minded audience that wants to be informed rather than educated...”