Thomas Jacob, former editorial director, Malayala Manorama, was on Thursday presented with the N. Rajesh Memorial Media Award, instituted in memory of the former News Editor of Madhyamam newspaper.
While delivering a lecture in memory of Rajesh, R. Rajagopal, editor at large, The Telegraph, pointed out that journalists need to know more about the laws governing defamation and libel while practising the profession. While commenting on the recent police raid on the news portal NewsClick and the arrest and searches on journalists, he said that such a large-scale action had not happened even during the infamous Emergency. “It is said that only two people have been arrested. No. Raids were carried out on the premises of as many as 46 journalists, and their laptops and mobile phones were seized. If the laptop and mobile phone of someone is in the custody of the police, it means the authorities have access to all the personal details of that person,” he pointed out. However, Mr. Rajagopal said that the media coverage of these events did not do justice to the gravity of the crisis.
O. Abdurahman, chief editor, Madhyamam and Sreejan Balakrishnan, news director, The Fourth, were present.
