Legal provision needed to ensure journalists’ wages, says Sharan Prakash Patil

Journalists today stand as vigilant sentinels of democracy, and protecting their welfare is a responsibility that cannot be overlooked, said Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Sharan Prakash Patil.

He was speaking after inaugurating the ‘Press Day’ celebrations and L. B. Mahadevappa Memorial award ceremony, organised by the taluk working journalists’ association in Sedam of Kalaburagi district on Saturday.

Expressing concerns over job security and low wages of journalists, Dr. Patil stressed the need for a legal mechanism at the national level to ensure that journalists receive fair and timely wages.

“A statutory framework for journalists’ wages must be initiated by the Union government. The State will consider all genuine demands from the media fraternity,” he added.

Expressing concerns over media ownership being increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals, an outcome of globalisation, Dr. Patil called upon the journalists to maintain neutrality in their reporting.

He emphasised that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s government has been proactive in implementing schemes for the welfare of rural journalists, including free bus passes and the Arogya Sanjeevani health insurance scheme.

“Journalists work under immense stress, and their health must not be neglected. Their hearts must remain strong too. That is why free cardiac check-ups are being organised this weekend at the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in Kalaburagi,” Dr. Patil said.