Open House session with Editor, Readers’ Editor in national capital

From concerns about fake news to questions about editorial policy, the readers of The Hindu in Delhi raised a host of issues during a free-wheeling interaction with the paper’s Readers’ Editor A.S. Panneerselvan and Editor Mukund Padmanabhan on Saturday at the first Open House session in the national capital.

The Open House saw readers from varied backgrounds including students, working professionals and senior citizens. Kicking off the session, the Readers’ Editor emphasised the need for an ombudsman or public editor, especially with social media aiding the spread of fake news.

“American publications think that Facebook and Twitter can replace a Readers’ Editor...What I have noticed is that the so-called social media is actually multiplying our problems, rather than the other way round because whether it is fake news or algorithm-driven emphasis on wrong news, all this is happening through social media,” Mr. Panneerselvan said.

Readers concurred that the issue needed to be addressed. Rishi Suri suggested that the paper could publish a regular feature, debunking fake news.

Responding to the suggestion, Mr. Padmanabhan said, “I am distressed by a lot of journalism that is conducted in the digital space and its spillover into the print space.”

Competition for clicks

With free content being offered in the digital space by most media companies in India, the competition for clicks had shaped journalism, he added.

“In The Hindu, we have grappled with this. How far do you go along the line? There are newspapers who do things to get more clicks. We have tried to remain true to the way that I think journalism should be done. Even if that means we’re not as popular or lost a few eyeballs,” he said.

Apart from addressing serious concerns about fake news, suggestions about reviving old columns, more coverage of North India and more space for science and agriculture reporting were discussed.