Agartala , Nov 16, 2024, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala Nov 16: National Press Day 2024 serves as a reminder of the indispensable role of media in shaping informed and engaged communities, said Justice Arindam Lodh.

The Tripura High Court Justice made the statement on Saturday as he addressed the gathering at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan, Agartala on the occasion of National Press Day 2024, organized under the initiative of Information and Cultural Affairs Department, Govt. of Tripura in association with Agartala Press Club.

The day celebrated with great enthusiasm under the theme, “Changing Nature of the Press” was graced by the presence of eminent dignitaries including, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Tinku Roy, Secretary ICA Department Pradeep Kumar Chakraborty, Agartala Press Club president Jayanta Bhattacharjee, eminent journalist Sekhar Dutta among others.

In his address, Justice Lodh reaffirmed the collective commitment to uphold the principles of press freedom and continue striving for excellence in journalism.

Talking about the theme of National Press Day 2024, Justice Lodh recalled his father Late Senior Adv. Apanshu Mohan Lodh his thorough attachment with the press community and belonging to a family that runs a renowned local daily for long years.

“From my childhood days I have been seeing how a newspaper runs. In his childhood days my father, late Senior Advocate Apanshu Mohan Roy, who started the local English daily called Tripura Times in Agartala used to distribute posters under the banner of ‘Amar Gram’ (My Village), in his native village in Bangladesh, mentioning the various aspects, challenges, problems and demands of the common people in his village, to every household. Later, coming to Tripura he started the newspaper. With changes and advancement in technology, the introduction of Computers, a small printing machine used in the early days, changed to advanced, modern systems”, he said.

Justice Lodh added, “Then came electronic media, TV Channels that started delivering information in and around us more quickly. Now recently with the introduction of social media like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. people are receiving information more swiftly, in a click on their mobile screens. This has drastically changed the habit of reading a newspaper with the sip of tea every morning”.

Highlighting the significant changes especially with the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence), he said, “At present, with the vast use of social media, we have been facing a great challenge and that is transparency, accuracy and accountability of news or information. We must remain vigilant in distinguishing truth and false information”.

He also urged greater involvement of youths in the media sector adding that the ‘introduction of brighter and innovative ideas by the younger generation is essential for addressing the present challenges”.

In his address, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Tinku Roy highlighted the challenges and responsibilities faced by journalists in the contemporary media landscape.

Highlighting the crucial issues like manpower shortages and economic challenges faced by the press in Tripura, Minister Roy also emphasized the importance of press freedom and the need for a robust and independent media to ensure transparency and accountability in society.

Meanwhile eminent Journalists Sekhar Dutta and Jayanta Bhattacharjee in their address, commended the journalists for their unwavering commitment to truth and integrity while sharing insights from their extensive experience in the field, inspiring the next generation media professionals.

Pradeep Kumar Chakraborty, Secretary, ICA Department urged the media professionals to be more responsible in using tools like AI to counter important issues like false or fabricated news.

The event also provided a platform for recognizing outstanding contributions in journalism and fostering dialogue on pressing issues affecting the media industry where senior journalists like Chitra Roy, Biman Dhar, Supriya Datta, among others were felicitated.