Press Club of Assam (PCA) expressed deep concern that some city-based people involved with media have tested positive for Covid-19, and has urged the media house managements to come clean on their staffs’ health status as part of responsibility towards the society. The registered press club has also appealed to all media persons in Assam to follow health guidelines framed to fight the pandemic.
As per unconfirmed reports, about 35 media staffs involved with different satellite news channels, digital media outlets and news papers in Guwahati have been infected with the COVID-19. But no mainstream media outlets have reported about this worrying development till date.
“It is unfortunate that while news channels remain vocal about coronavirus infection of common people (even identifying them by name and address), they collectively remain silent when members of their own media fraternity test positive. But such silence will spell trouble for those who come in contact with infected media persons,” said a PCA statement issued by president Kailas Sarma, working president Nava Thakuria and secretary Hiren Chandra Kalita.
The media club has also voiced support for the demand for mandatory Covid-19 screening of all staffs working in media by the respective house managements, and has urged State health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to push for such an exercise. PCA has argued that when the media fraternity in Covid-19 hotspots like Mumbai can be open about media persons getting infected in the line of duty and even take pride as frontline Covid-19 warriors, then there is every reason to emulate such honesty and transparency in Assam.
