Bhubaneswar: Access to quick information on social media, or messenger services, has made journalists excessively rely on the medium, thus dampening the spirit of pursuing news on the ground, said Dharitri and OrissaPOST Editor Tathagata Satpathy.
Addressing journalists at a special function in the run-up to the 50th-anniversary celebrations of Odisha’s leading daily – Dharitri – at the newspaper’s headquarters here Saturday, Satpathy said such dependence on secondary sources creates a vacuum in the domain of ground reporting, resulting in misinterpretations and lack of depth in news reports.
“Only ground reporting does justice to news stories,” he said.
The event was attended by the publication’s city, district and block correspondents and stringers from the nook and corner of Odisha.
In her address, Dharitri and Orissa POST Chief Executive Adyasha Satpathy said, “In today’s busy life, reporters tend to miss out vital aspects of a news story in search of a bigger lead. Later, these smaller developments become an important news story,” she said, adding, ”The observational skills of a reporter must be concerned with every arc of the story.”
Odisha Sahitya Akademi President Hrushikesh Mallick said journalism at Dharitri has maintained its pristinely nature to this date as it has been able to uphold its critical editorial policy. “The strict adherence to immaculate Odia vocabulary has been able to create a strong reader base for the newspaper across Odisha,” he said.
Several correspondents of the newspaper were felicitated for their exemplary works in the field of investigative journalism, at the programme.
The programme was followed by a cultural event involving song, acting and dance performances by staffers and journalists of the publication.
The event was a precursor to the 50th anniversary celebrations of Dharitri November 24; which will also mark the conduct of the Dharitri Youth Enclave.
PNN