eGovWatch: Arun Jaitley launches DD News Mobile App

Union minister Arun Jaitley, speaking at an event on Thursday where he was launching the DD News mobile app, said it is one of the agendas of Prasar Bharati, Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) to have the largest width of coverage and give facts.

Emphasising on objectivity in news, the information and broadcasting minister said while there is a deluge of channels with “anchor-driven” content, there is still a huge space to cater to an audience which is starving for “facts” and coverage of events outside the national capital.

“Even though we have been flooded with channels, newspapers, news available is of events which the concerned channels or the anchors or editors consider to be news. There is a vast amount of activity taking place in the country and all over,” Jaitley said.

He futher stressed that objective news should never be a casualty.

Jaitley added that while there is value for “competitive news” or “anchor-driven news”, there is also a huge space and “almost a starvation” for just knowing the facts.

In this situation, he said, the viewer has to change his habits. There is a need to know about the world, politics, economy and what is happening all over India, which is not just Lutyens’ Delhi, Jaitley said.

“Therefore I find it is a combination of the anchor-driven news channels where news is confined to what happened in Lutyens’ Delhi, there is a place for that. Obviously, you have to tune into that. At the same time, if you want to know the vast news of what is happening all over, a few minutes of watching BBC, few minutes Doordarshan, gives, at least me, a much bigger picture,” Jaitley said.

Speaking about Prasar Bharati apps, he said their capability would depend on objectivity and constant updating. News these days is important, till the next important event happens, he said.

Referring to the I&B ministry e-book ‘India 2015’, which was also unveiled the same day, Jaitley said it is almost an encyclopedia.