SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SMT. PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE NATIONAL PRESS DAY CELEBRATIONS

New Delhi, 16th November 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to participate in the National Press Day celebrations. November 16th is a day on which we can look with pride to the fact that we have been, in the last six decades since independence, successful in maintaining the freedom of our press. We have in this period also seen an extensive growth in the English language media as well as in almost all our regional language press.

The freedom of speech and expression is an important right of a citizen. It is also one of the requirements of a healthy democratic system and for creating an aware society. Mahatma Gandhi said and I quote, "One of the objects of a newspaper is to understand popular feelings and deep expressions. Another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments. And the third is to oppose fearlessly their defects". Unquote. He used the three journals, 'Navjeevan', 'Young India' and 'The Harijan' to awaken political and social consciousness.

The media has today become more powerful than perhaps it has ever been before. Its reach is expanding all the time on account of the ever increasing advances in technology. It is no longer limited to one medium or platform but has grown from the print media to radio to the electronic media and, more recently, through the various internet options. Media in one form or the other, particularly the electronic media has dramatically penetrated into every home. In many ways, media is framing peoples' thoughts, aspirations and opinions and this means the responsibilities and duties of the media are increasing. While bringing news and all that is happening in society to the forefront, it must carry messages in a manner that helps in building a constructive approach. Media can contribute significantly to the process of socio-economic development and in our fight against social evils, which are major blockades and which hamper our efforts in accomplishing the goals of our great nation.

The media holds a mirror to the happenings in society to the public at large and therefore, it must profile issues requiring attention. In this context, this year's theme chosen by the Press Council of India - "Women and Media" - is one that is, indeed, significant. One of the tasks we still have to accomplish in our country is the empowerment of women and gender equality. Women constitute about half of our population but still do not have the same opportunities as their male counterparts in many areas. Often there is discrimination against women and they are faced with many social biases that suppress their capacity to contribute their might towards building a strong nation. To help women realize their rights - political, economic and social-institutions and structures would have to work in tandem.

Legislatures at the National and State levels have created laws for social welfare and greater participation of women in national life. Women have been given 33 percent representation in local bodies. However, while statutory declarations give rights, to make them effective there is need for awareness and responsive implementing and redressal mechanisms. Many stakeholders would need to work together to create an enabling environment in which women's concerns can be reflected, articulated and redressed. Media can be an important player in highlighting cases of success, which can act as a catalyst in the process as well in pointing failures, so that the defects in the system come to light and can be corrected.

With the phenomenal increase in the number of women entering the media over the past few years, many questions need to be answered and analysed. What is the status of women journalists today? Do they get the enabling environment to do well in their work? What facilities, such as childcare facilities and adequate leave for raising their children do women journalists get? What type of mid- service training do they receive? The need for introspection on these issues was highlighted in a survey conducted a few years ago, the findings of which revealed that women journalists felt they needed certain changes in the workplace such as childcare facilities, maternity leave, insurance, among others. No doubt from a historical perspective, women journalists have clearly made great advances in the last two decades in India. They are reporting from the battlefield, the stock market and Parliament and the State Assemblies. There is also no doubt that women journalists have given the media a broader base by mainstreaming health, environment as well as social problems and women's issues. In a competitive profession like journalism, women naturally have aspirations to rise up the ladder, just as their male colleagues. These are some of the issue which can be looked at by managements of media organizations.

The other aspect with regard to "Women and Media" is how the media depicts women. The question is, does the media depict women in a positive way or are women shown more in a negative light? There are many qualities of a woman - as a mother, conscience keeper, protector of our cultural values as a friend and companion, which require more reinforcement today, than perhaps in the past. Is the media doing this? I remember the award winning film, "Mother India", in which the central figure was a woman who faced adversity with dignity and who imbibed these qualities in her child. This portrayal was so effective, that it left an impact on thousands of youngsters who watched the film, that when they grew up it probably influenced their attitude towards women. Are such films made these days? Do television and the print media adequately highlight the stories of women of courage and determination in adversity?

I would also like to turn to the role of the media in how it portrays the happenings around it. Our nation is going through an important phase in its evolution. A new India is emerging which is confident and its economic growth has caught the attention of the world. This wave of hope is led and reflected by the optimism of its youth. At the same time, no doubt, we do have problems. The media can interpret events in many different ways. The media's perspective should be constructive, just as a glass half empty, can also be seen in a different light - that is a glass half full. This in my view, would have positive run offs in the minds of the public and help in finding solutions. In this way, media can help in creating a public discourse which seeks solutions and generates hope and not in the dark light of skepticism. This can be an important role for the media - to be inspire our people to higher sentiments and be responsible towards their roles and duties as responsible citizens who think in terms of how to protect the interests of our country. Many media channels have increasingly broken national boundaries. It has resulted in many cross-cultural influences, some think it may lead to homogenization of culture and, therefore, the challenge is how to preserve cultural diversity. For a country like ours, with a rich and ancient cultural heritage, this will be a question of interest.

I would also like to touch on another aspect of the media in our times. It is well established that what news is worthy to reach the pages of the print media and the screens of news channels, is often a happening out of the ordinary. However, the media should carefully avoid sensationalizing these happenings, particularly when the incident involves the young, women or sensitive social issues.

With these words, I would like to conclude my address at this year's Press Day and wish the Press Council of India well in its work of ensuring that our media can continue to work in the best possible way and with high standards. As the role of media is very important in a democratic country, I wish the event all success.

Thank you,

Jai Hind