Declare journalists as frontline workers: Editors Guild tells Centre

The Editors Guild of India on Thursday urged the Union government to ensure priority vaccination for them amid a rise in coronavirus cases

The Editors Guild of India on Thursday urged the Union government to declare journalists as frontline workers and ensure priority vaccination for them amid a rise in coronavirus cases.

In a statement, the Guild said news organisations have been relentlessly covering the pandemic, elections, and other current affairs in an effort to ensure that the flow of news and information to readers continues unabated.

"News media is included in essential services. Therefore, it will only be fair that journalists be given this cover of protection, especially in the face of the number of infected rising to astronomical levels," the statement said.

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) urges the Union government to declare journalists as frontline workers and they be allowed priority vaccination against coronavirus, along with other frontline workers, it said.

Without the protection of vaccination, media persons are finding it very difficult to discharge their professional responsibilities, the Guild pointed out.

The EGI said therefore, it calls upon the Union government to immediately get all journalists, regardless of age, vaccinated so that there is no disruption in their work during this critical time.

India saw its highest single-day rise of 2,00,739 COVID-19 infections, pushing the country' tally of cases to 1,40,74,564, according to official data released Thursday.