New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) While fake news is testing the credibility of media, the press sometimes demeans itself by publishing unverified news, as was seen recently with several outlets wrongly reporting that ailing actor Dharmendra had died, Vijay Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer of Press Trust of India, said on Sunday.
Delivering the keynote address at the National Press Day function organised by the Press Council of India, Joshi spoke about the challenges faced due to the “steady creep” of artificial intelligence and misinformation, and the need to restore the credibility of media.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Press Council of India Chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (retd), Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan among others were present at the function.
Joshi called upon journalists to adhere to the four bedrock principles of truth, accuracy, fairness and independence.
“The press is facing its biggest crisis today, because the credibility of the press – which is the very foundation of a healthy democracy – is cracking,” he said.
“It is cracking under the relentless pressure of a global infodemic. It is cracking under the threat of fake news aided by the steady creep of Artificial Intelligence. It is cracking because we often shoot ourselves in the foot. We demean ourselves with our way of reporting, rather our misreporting,” he said.
Joshi said he was proud that PTI had refused to report Dharmendra’s death because there was no confirmation from anyone authoritative or the alleged demise of Poonam Pandey, which turned out to be a prank to create awareness about cancer.
He said PTI has consciously chosen to prioritise accuracy over immediacy and has no hesitation in admitting a mistake and correcting a news report, or providing more balance.
“This institutional discipline, this commitment to getting the facts right, has allowed PTI to remain a trusted source of news for millions of Indians and for the media outlets that rely on our service,” Joshi said.
He said the media has prioritised speed over substance and chase clicks over credibility, thus creating a turbulent sea of information and misinformation.
“This, in turn, has led to a dangerous erosion of public trust. Restoring that trust is the most critical mission for every journalist and media organisation,” Joshi said.
“Amid all these pressures — commercial, political, speed — news organisations must continue to uphold accuracy, impartiality and accountability. That is the core of credibility,” he said.
He said PTI has established a Fact Check desk to combat the deluge of misinformation.
“We don’t just label something as ‘false’; we show our work. We detail our methodology, present the evidence, and explain how the disinformation was created,” he said.
Joshi called for a multi-pronged collaborative effort to fight misinformation by equipping every reporter, editor and desk with the skills to identify sophisticated disinformation.
“The modern journalist must be both – a storyteller and a digital detective,” he said.
Joshi stressed the need to champion media literacy on a national scale by partnering with educational institutions, technology platforms and the government.
He said the press was not simply a business, but a public service.
“It is a trust. I look forward to the day when the public says ‘I trust the news’,” Joshi said. PTI SKU RT
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