JFA bats for supports to newspaper industry but with condition

 
JFA bats for supports to newspaper industry but with condition
Guwahati: Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) advocates for due supports to
the Indian newspaper industry, which is facing an exceptional crisis
because of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting both of its circulation and
advertise revenues since March 2020,  but with the condition that
every media group would pay their employees according to the concerned
wage board guidelines endorsed by the Supreme Court of India.

It may be mentioned that the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has urged
the Union government to announce a stimulus package for the newspaper
industry as it faces a loss of around Rs 12,500 crore in the last
eight months. As a result many of the publications have either shut
down or suspended some of their editions indefinitely and ‘if this
situation prevails, many more will be compelled to close their
operations in the near future’, asserted the owners’ association.

“One can well imagine, the downfall of the fourth pillar of the
world’s largest democracy will have severe socio-political
repercussions, as well as affect its 30 lakh workers and staff, who
are directly and indirectly involved in the newspaper industry as
journalists, printers, delivery vendors and many others,” said INS
chief L Adimoolam adding that the newspaper industry was putting in
‘its best efforts to bounce back and now looking forward to the
government to provide the much needed stimulus package’.

Arguing that the newspapers continue to play a vital role in the
dissemination of verified & factual news in these challenging times,
the INS also urged the government to remove residual 5% customs duty
on newsprint, provide two years tax holiday, 50% increase in the
government advertisement rates, 200% increase in the government spend
on print media and immediate settlement of outstanding bills of
advertisements released through various government agencies.

“We too urge the government to seriously look into the crisis faced by
the newspaper industry, but like to remind the INS that most of the
large print media houses in the country still disobey those SC
approved guidelines relating to the salaries and other benefits of
their employees,” said JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava
Thakuria adding that the Centre, which accepted the Majithia Wage
Board recommendations in 2011 itself, should take the note.

The forum also appealed to the government to enact specific laws
relating to the salary and other legal benefits for media employees
engaged with the satellite news channels and prescribed digital media
outlets across the country. Otherwise, the  coverage of Majithia Wage
Board (now confined to journalists and other employees belong to news
papers and news agencies) can be expanded to other electronic media
outlets as well.