shri vinod sharma - Rajya Sabha

thanks. Once again, I express my gratitude to all of you for your gracious presence.
I, now, request you to join in the group photograph on the staircase adjacent to the
Committee Room 'D' and the tea in the Banquet Hall thereafter. We shall reassemble
for the panel discussion at 12 noon. Thank you.
(The workshop then adjourned for tea.)
THE WORKSHOP ON PARLIAMENT AND MEDIA
CONTINUED AFTER TEA-BREAK AT 11.50 A.M.
SHRI VIJAY NAIK: Thank you all for being present here, including the Panel. On
behalf of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and also on behalf of the Press Advisory
Committee, I welcome Mr. N. Ram, Chief Editor of the Hindu, Smt. Mrinal Pandey,
Former Editor of the Hindustan (Hindi), a prolific writer, author and commentator,
and Mr. Vinod Sharma, a Senior Journalist and Associated Editor of the Hindustan
Times here to discuss the topic of Parliament Reflections of Parliament om the
Media. We are also thankful to the Deputy Chairperson who is here to listen to our
debate for some time and also Dr.V.K. Agnihotri, who is the Secretary-General of
Rajya Sabha and Mr. N.C. Joshi, Secretary in the Secretariat of Rajya Sabha.
Friends, the topic today is, Reflections of Parliament in the Media. I have already
introduced the eminent journalists on the pane. They would be commenting on the
functioning of Parliament and other Legislatures. I would also request them reflect on
the subject in the light of the observations which have been made by the Chairman
in his speech. He has actually pointed out to certain lacunae in reporting and what
is happening in the field of journalism in the light of exposure recently by Shri P.
Sainath. He mentioned about it also. Actually, I would like to quote one observation
of the former Speaker, Shri Som Nath Chatterjee also while delivering his Eighth
Pranabesh Sen Memorial Lecture in Kolkata on 12 th January 2009 on the subject,
Parliament, People and the Media. He said: "Unfortunately, media coverage of