Bhubaneswar: The Editor of Orissa POST and Dharitri, Tathagata Satpathy, Wednesday said that there is an infodemic amidst the outbreak of Covid-19.
He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on the role of media during coronavirus crisis. He said, “Along with the pandemic, there is an infodemic too. The media, to some extent, has gone off the leash which in turn has impacted its image and created a credibility crisis. At this juncture, media should disseminate information responsibly and not create panic on Covid-related news. At the same time, it should not also compromise on the news that can show the reality and help the government in course correction.”
Instead of focusing only on Covid related reports, the media should lay emphasis on other important news items, he added.
He cited the examples of western media where the line of treatment and conditions of hospitals treating Covid-19 patients are discussed and debated. He also batted for bringing more alternative forms of news for the public at a time when news related to Covid have been bombarded.
The webinar was presided over by Shailesh Kumar Malaviya, Additional Director General, PIB, Bhubaneswar and other journalists from the state. Krupasindhu Mishra, Director of Information and Public Relations department, Odisha government, also participated in the event.
Mishra batted for highlighting more positive news during this health emergency. He said, “During Covid-19 outbreak, media is playing a key role in disseminating authentic information.”
Sandeep Mishra, editor of a digital media, said, “The media is now struggling to get the information. The media personnel are now too struggling to get the reports published in time with full authenticity.”
He talked about the struggle in news gathering and checking the veracity of news at the time of the health disaster.
The webinar was attended by several people from different corners of the state. A lot of them shared their live feedback with the speakers during the session.
