Minister Tells Media: 'Be The Voice Of The People' As Odisha Journalists Are Honored

New Delhi: Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stressed the importance of journalists in society, saying that whether they are criticising powerful individuals or pointing out inconsistencies, they must remain the voice of the people.

On Wednesday, Pradhan gave a speech at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, where he presented six journalists from Odisha with the Pallibani Mission's Odisha Journalism Award 2021.

The minister praised the prize winners, saying that despite the fact that they were based in Odisha rather than the national capital, they were effective in bringing pertinent concerns to the attention of ministers and officials in New Delhi.

"A journalist's a journalist's a journalist's a journalist's a journalist He stressed the importance of local media in addressing issues in the age of social media, saying, "There is no such thing as a national journalist or a local journalist."

For appreciation, Pradhan cited particular tales of award recipients and how they were noticed in New Delhi.

Despite the fact that no one knew what the best approach to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in India last year, Pradhan claimed that India was now the world's leading vaccine manufacturer. He went on to say that it was a source of national pride.

In response to a media storey that likened India's vaccination programme to China's, he stated that the two countries were not comparable. In comparison to China, he added, India was a democracy where accountability and transparency were the pillars of governance.

According to Pradhan, anyone in India may use a smartphone to get vaccination data and verify the facts. He went on to say that it was transparent and in the public domain.

Pradhan, who presented the prizes, lauded each of the six journalists for persistently highlighting issues of public importance and, in today's day and time, not being afraid to venture into the digital media realm. He applauded Odisha Bytes, a digital news outlet, for bringing attention to stories that were ultimately picked up by mainstream media.

Sandeep Mishra, Odisha Bytes Group Editor; Siba Mohanty, Deputy Resident Editor of The New Indian Express, Odisha; Pitabasa Mishra, Utkal Mail Editor, Kanak TV Editor Manoranjan Mishra, OTV senior cameraperson Gopal Prasad Verma, and Mihir Ranjan Patra, Associate Professor at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology are the recipients of the award this year.