The Telugu Film Journalist Association recently announced an important resolution by the association to suspend senior journalist Devi Priya (VSN Murthy). He gets a three-month suspension for repeated complaints about his social media behavior. He had targeted and criticised fellow journalists on Twitter, and was sanctioned, the association said.
This suspension will prevent Devi Priya from attending press meetings or interviews during the whole period. PROs are asked not to give him interviews or invite him to media events. The move is to keep discipline and harmony among journalists in Telugu films.
Devi Priya, otherwise known as VSN Murthy, is a senior journalist with decades of experience covering cinema and cultural affairs. He seems to have an outspoken personality and has long had strong opinions. His sharp comments are not new, per se, but he has a track record of acting in a way that some would regard as crossing professional boundaries on Twitter. The association’s move is in keeping with rising fears about how journalists are employing social media and the potential damage it could cause to professional relationships.
The suspension has roiled the media. Some news journalists appreciated the order, and said it was needed to preserve the profession’s dignity. They insist that criticism ought to be constructive and respectful, particularly when aimed at colleagues. Some, however, think we should not be curtailing freedom of expression and argue that dissent is part of a healthy democracy. The episode reflects that fine line between free speech and the responsibilities of an honest professional.
This case illustrated the way in which social media has changed interactions between journalists and between journalists and the public. But when outlets like Twitter give journalists a voice they will also make everyone answerable to them. Words passed through social media can cause a professional to lose face, friendships or reputation and credibility. Devi Priya's suspension should be a reminder that on-line and off-line conduct should be professionally applied.
The Telugu Film Journalist Association’s suspension of senior journalist Devi Priya is a significant development. It is the message that must be sent to journalists in this essay that: discipline, honor and responsibility are essential in the field of journalism. With the argument continuing, the episode is thought to be prompting reporters to rethink their social media habit in view of their words and the effects they might have on colleagues, and even the greater society at large.
