In an interaction with key stakeholders of the news broadcasting industry on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need to disseminate scientific reports and involve informed people in their discussions to counter misinformation. He also urged the news TV channels to focus on increasing awareness regarding the need for maintaining social distance and other measures to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar; Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; and senior representatives and editors from prominent electronic media organisations participated in the interaction through video-conferencing, an official statement said.

Terming Covid-19 a lifetime challenge, the Prime Minister said it needs to be tackled through new and innovative solutions. “A long battle lies ahead of us whereby awareness for social distancing has to be spread and information about latest developments and key decisions needs to be communicated swiftly and professionally by the channels through easy to grasp language,” he said.

Countering pessimism

Modi said on one hand, news broadcasters will need to ensure that people don’t let their guard down and become careless, and on the other, they need to play a role in countering pessimism and panic through positive communication. It is necessary to keep the doctors and healthcare workers motivated since they are at the forefront of this fight, he added.

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