Breaking news culture without verifying not good: AK Antony

NEW DELHI: Cautioning media against the "breaking news culture", Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday said journalists should not lose objectivity in the rush to score against rivals and advocated self-regulation.

At a function to felicitate prominent journalist TVR Shenoy on completion of 50 years in journalism, Antony said his personal appeal to journalists is that they should not broadcast or publish whatever comes to them without verifying.

"This breaking news culture of todays is not the right thing to do. Breaking whatever information you get is not a good habit.

"Nowadays media has become more competitive. But this competitiveness should not result in lack of objectivity. This is my personal appeal to media people," Antony, who knew Shenoy for the past 54 years, said.

He also said no government can or should try to control media but it should go for self-regulation.

"You (journalists) should not run stories on the basis of just one source," he said.

Shenoy had served as the Editor of The Week and Sunday Mail and held various posts in Indian Express and Malayala Manorama.

Lauding the contributions of Shenoy, senior BJP Leader LK Advani said the kind of political wisdom which comes to him from journalists is a greater guide to him than what he gets from fellow politicians.