N. Ram, editor in chief of The Hindu, tells Indian journalists that codes of practice are imperative for the industry and suggested that “internal news ombudsmen perform that role.
Speaking on “Media as Protector of Public Discussion” at the opening session of a two-day roundtable on Markets, Media and Democracy, organised jointly by UNICEF and the Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata, Mr. Ram said a very key function of the media was that related to “agenda-building.”
Elucidating the more crucial functions of the media, Mr. Ram said if those related to “credible information” and “critical assessment investigation” were done well, there was tremendous potential for what he described as yet another of the functions — “the educative.”
“What is very important is self-correction, being open to readers,” he said.