Post-Mangalore,K’taka plans media ombudsman

IN THE light of media reporting on moral vigilantism by the right-wing groups in Mangalore,the state BJP Government proposes to appoint a media ombudsman to screen reports lacking in objectivity.

Home Minister V S Acharya,echoing the views of a sizable section in Mangalore who say media coverage of the January 24 assault on women at a pub has caused great damage to the reputation of Mangalore,at a peace meeting in Mangalore on Sunday said his government would consider a policy to keep media within a Lakshman Rekha.

An ombudsman will screen media reports for objectivity and entertain complaints of the public. The media must not go overboard in projecting incidents, Acharya said.

District-in-charge Minister Krishna Palemar said,Mangalore has been projected in a poor light across the world by the media.

However,the Home Minister’s proposal came in for criticism,with district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) B Madhava calling the proposal a fascist move intended to prevent the media from reporting freely and fairly.

A representative of the Mangalore Catholics said the Government must concentrate on putting down vigilantism instead of attacking the media’s prerogative to overplay or underplay an incident.

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