National Press Day observed across Assam with calls to safeguard media credibility

CORRESPONDENTS

DHUBRI: Along with the rest of the country, National Press Day was also observed at the DC Office Conference Hall, organized by the District Information and Public Relations Officer, Dhubri, in collaboration with the Dhubri district administration. 

The programme witnessed the presence of Additional District Commissioner Banti Talukdar, DIPRO Snigdha Rani Das, officials of DIPRO, senior journalist Jyotirmoy Chakraborty, and Bijoy Kumar Sharma as the appointed speaker, President of Dhubri Press Club Rajib Sharma, Secretary of Dhubri Press Club Nurul Amin, President of Dhubri Journalists’ Association Pranabshish Roy, and Print and Electronic mediapersons of different media houses. 

Talukdar in her brief speech said that the media was the fourth pillar and so it had a lot of responsibilities towards the society and also towards humanity. 

“Fake news sometimes gets published without proper verification and in this perspective, we have to act responsibly on how to spread the right information for the general public”, she added. 

Senior journalist Bijoy Kumar Sharma in his valuable speech emphasized on certain activities which are prevalent today. He said that social media, artificial intelligence, and other news sources used certain techniques to manipulate the news or publish fake news due to which the press credibility got hampered. He added that this could be controlled only by proper verification, technical innovation, and public knowledge enhanced through proper training. 

ORANG: The National Press Day was observed at the Udalguri Press Club with the participation of numerous senior and young journalists from across the district on Sunday. The day commemorates the establishment of the Press Council of India on November 16, 1966, and has since been observed annually to honour the crucial role of the press in safeguarding democracy, upholding press freedom, and promoting responsible journalism.

In a significant development, the Bodoland Journalists’ Association (BJA), Udalguri district committee, announced its decision to boycott the National Press Day celebration organized by the BTC Government this year. The association stated that journalists in the district had long been subjected to neglect by BTC authorities.

The BJA, Udalguri district committee, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the cancellation of the name of a senior journalist selected by the district committee for felicitation claiming that the decision was unjustly taken on the pretext of age. The association stated that the move was ‘unacceptable and disrespectful’ towards the journalist community of Udalguri.

NAZIRA: The 59th National Press Day was celebrated at Nazira MC Club on November 16, organized by Nazira Press Club and the Information and Public Relations Department of Nazira, in collaboration with Nazira Hangabadik Mancha and Co-District Administration of Nazira.

The meeting was chaired by Nazira Press Club president Bhaskarjyoti Bargohain. Dr Vidyananda Barkakoti, Principal of Swahid Maniram Dewan College, Charing, delivered a speech on the topic of ‘Protecting the Credibility of Journalism Amidst Misleading Information.’ Dr Barkakoti urged the journalists to be diligent and cautious in all areas and present the news impartially. He also urged the journalists to refrain from presenting news with wrong and false information and to work hard to present true and accurate news.

Head of English Department, Gargaon College, Professor Dr Jitu Saikia, said that the importance of the mass media for the protection of democracy was immense. “In my fifty years of life, I have never seen a ruler questioning the media, only now and this is not a good sign for a healthy democracy,” Dr Jitu Saikia said, adding that the goal of every journalist should be to investigate the truth and use it for the benefit of the society. He said that the morning newspaper was like a mental breakfast.

BOKAKHAT: Along with various parts of the country, National Press Day was celebrated on Sunday in Bokakhat as well. The event was organized by the Public Relations Department of the Sub-Divisional Administration of Bokakhat, in collaboration with the Bokakhat Press Club, Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Journalists’ Association, and the Electronic Media Journalists’ Association. The programme was held at the conference hall of the Office of the Bokakhat Sub-Divisional Officer, in the presence of journalists from the region.

BONGAIGAON: The Bongaigaon district administration and District Information & Public Relations Office, in association with the Greater Bongaigaon Press Club, celebrated National Press Day on Sunday at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall. Deputy Commissioner Navadeep Pathak inaugurated the event with an address on press freedom and the role of the Press Council of India. This year’s theme was ‘Protecting Media Credibility from Misinformation.’

Senior Information Officer Bhupendra Chandra Das delivered the keynote speech, urging journalists to ensure accuracy and truth in reporting. Tributes were paid to Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg. The event also featured musical performances by senior artistes Nanda Kishore Choudhury and Deepak Kumar Das. The gathering was attended by journalists, officials, and dignitaries, including assistant commissioners and retired ACS officer Rohini Kumar Choudhury. The programme was conducted by District Information Officer Binu Rani Rajbangshi.

BISWANATH CHARIALI: National Press Day 2025 was celebrated in Biswanath district on Sunday under the initiative of Biswanath District Information and Public Relations Department in association with Biswanath district administration. At the beginning, Biswanath District Commissioner Simanta Kumar Das lit the lamp while Assistant Commissioner and District Information and Public Relations Officer Sunam Das delivered the welcome address. In his speech, District Commissioner Das urged the journalists to continue presenting news based on truth in the current difficult times. Participating in the programme as the distinguished speaker, former scribe and Assistant Professor of English Department of Biswanath College, Dr Dipankar Saikia, presented an informative, thoughtful and important discussion on the changing face of media on the theme of this year’s National Press Day ‘Safeguarding Press Credibility Amidst Rising Misinformation.’ Highlighting the theme, the speaker said that the changing times had seen a change in the quality of news of the growing media and also the growing number of journalists. He said that the media and journalists must be given freedom to report the truth as opposed to misleading information. The programme was conducted by Ranjit Saikia while on behalf of the Public Relations Department, four journalists of the district were felicitated at the event including Pranab Ojah, Jayanta Baruah, Srimanta Das, and Rajiv Borah. Additional District Commissioner Asim Borgohain, Assistant Commissioner Manjushri Borah, and a number of scribes from across the district were present on the occasion.

GOLAGHAT: The National Press Day was observed today at the conference hall of Circuit House, Golaghat, under the auspices of the Golaghat District Administration and the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Assam.

The programme began with a tribute to the journalists who have dedicated their lives to the noble cause of news dissemination. The Chief Executive Officer of Golaghat Zila Parishad delivered the welcome address. In the next session, the Additional District Commissioner highlighted the indispensable role of the press in ensuring transparency and accountability of the administration.

The keynote speaker, senior journalist Apurba Ballav Goswami, spoke on the theme -Safeguarding the Credibility of Journalism Amidst Misinformation. Other senior journalists also addressed the gathering, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the fourth pillar of democracy and expressing their expectations from the administration.

The session featured an extensive discussion on the invaluable contribution of journalists to the media, the need for their financial security, and the importance of a robust interface between the press and the government. On behalf of the district administration, the event concluded with best wishes to all journalists of Golaghat on the occasion of National Press Day.

Also Read: National Press Day: Honouring India’s Press Freedom and Assam’s Rich Journalism Heritage