Journalists are like contemporary historians: Jung

Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today described journalists as "contemporary historians" and said they must therefore ensure that they rise above "primordial sentiments" in discharging their obligations.
He was speaking at a meet organised here by the Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution of the Jamia Millia Islamia and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Reports filed by journalists from the field often become resources which are used to write history, and as a result, journalists are actually "contemporary historians", who must therefore ensure that they rise above "primordial sentiments" in discharging their obligations, Jung said.

He also exhorted them to rise above prejudice that plague humankind and not follow any religion, caste, country and ethnicity while reporting, as their role is critical in awakening the conscience of human kind.
"Journalists have no religion, no caste, no country and ethnicity. They should simply see themselves as human beings, as their role is critical in awakening the conscience of human kind," he said during a meet to discuss trends and challenges of media and humanitarian action.
A group of 15 journalists from 10 Asian countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Japan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar attending the meeting in the national capital to discuss trends and challenges of media and humanitarian action.

The issues being discussed during the two-day meet include reporting on humanitarian needs of populations in remote areas in times of natural disasters, refocussing on forgotten conflicts, post-traumatic stress disorders, and reporting on the impact of emergencies on vulnerable populations.