Union minister L Murugan on Tuesday said in times of crises television news channels must become prudent and truth and trust must become the maxim to abide by.
Murugan, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the Global News Forum 2022 meeting here organised by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.
He said the theme of the meeting - 'Truth and Trust at Times of Crisis' - was very apt and its importance increased manifold following the COVID-19 pandemic that was also referred to as an "infodemic".
Murugan said fake news and misinformation spread fast during the pandemic and creation of awareness against this evil has become equally important.
The minister lauded Prasar Bharti, India's public broadcaster, for playing a key role in information dissemination during the pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion, Mayank Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharti, said the organisation has always lived up to the high standards of public broadcasting and has been valued by people for its objectivity.
Agrawal credited Doordarshan and All India Radio for actively confronting the menace of fake news during the pandemic by broadcasting a phone in programme 'Doctors Speak' in 20 regional languages where doctors responded to queries from the audience.
Javad Mottaghi, Secretary General of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), said that Asia-Pacific was a diverse region with both big and small countries, different cultures, economies and governance systems.
ABU has 253 members in more than 67 countries in the Pacific region, Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America, reaching a potential audience of about two billion.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Fake Doctors Open Hospital In Surat, It Shuts A Day After Grand Launch 'Social Media Firms Must Compensate News Outlets': Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw UP Man Poses As Army Officer, Demands Rs 50,000 On False Promises, Arrested "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory Delhi Cop Stops 3 Men During Patrol, They Kill Him. Then A Manhunt Begins With Thumping Win, Maharashtra Decides Real NCP, Sena "Too Little, Too Late": India Rejects $300 Billion COP29 Climate Deal RRB Paramedical Application Status Out, Check Details Watch: Customer Smashes Ola Scooter With Hammer, Video Goes Viral Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.