Aroon Purie conferred with AIMA’s Managing India award for 'Lifetime Contribution to Media'
'A free press is essential for India and for democracy,' says Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group
- Sep 26, 2023,
- Updated Sep 26, 2023 9:51 PM IST
Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group, was on Tuesday conferred with All India Management Association’s (AIMA) Managing India Award for his 'Lifetime Contribution to Media'.
Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Service, who read the citation for the award noted that Purie is a pioneering media entrepreneur, a fearless editor, and a benchmark for publishing standards, who has led many transformations in Indian news media over the past half-century.
“One of the longest-serving editors in India, he has set standards for print, television and internet journalism throughout his career. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2001 along with a host of acclaimed national and international awards for his contribution to Indian journalism,” he said.
Accepting the award, Purie said he was delighted with the honour especially as these days media is “the best whipping boy’’. “We are the ones who create riots, create all the chaos in society; we are responsible for all the ills. Most often, the messenger is shot,” he underlined.
While noting that there are bad apples in every profession, he stressed that the whole sector or industry can not be condemned because of that. “Readers and viewers are very smart. They know where propaganda ends and real journalism begins,” he said.
Highlighting the role of media, he said that a free press is essential for the country and functioning of democracy. “A free press is essential for India, it is essential for democracy, especially when our democracy is not functioning so well. As you can see more debates are held on news channels than are held in Parliament,” he noted.
Calling journalism a noble profession as it carries a social responsibility just like doctors and teachers, Purie said seeking the truth to the best of one’s ability and presenting it objectively is the aim.
Doing so is even more important in today’s environment where there is an epidemic of fake news, which might get further aggravated by artificial intelligence. “Truth is becoming an endangered species and there is a tsunami of digital information and of course there is WhatsApp University where lots of people get unverified information from,” he noted, stressing that it is imperative that journalism has to step up and do its job honestly. “It is important for Indian democracy to survive,” he further said.
Likening himself to a gardener, he also thanked all the people who have worked with him over the last 48 years and continue to work with him and said, “All these talented people come and bloom in my garden and have made me look good.” He also thanked his family who has for the last 48 years lived with him on a 24-hour news cycle.
AIMA's Managing India Award is one of the most coveted business leadership award.
Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies was conferred the Corporate Citizen Award and RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India was felicitated with the Lifetime Contribution Award under the Managing India Award by AIMA. The awards were presented by India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.
“It is a great honour to give the awards to three very distinguished peopled who I have admired for a long time,” said Kant. Calling Purie the visionary behind India Today and India Today Group, Kant said he has reshaped journalism in India and has also been an inspiration for him.
Bhargava noted that Purie has made a huge impact on the lives of many people in the country and stressed that media should be celebrated and respected.
Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group, was on Tuesday conferred with All India Management Association’s (AIMA) Managing India Award for his 'Lifetime Contribution to Media'.
Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Service, who read the citation for the award noted that Purie is a pioneering media entrepreneur, a fearless editor, and a benchmark for publishing standards, who has led many transformations in Indian news media over the past half-century.
“One of the longest-serving editors in India, he has set standards for print, television and internet journalism throughout his career. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2001 along with a host of acclaimed national and international awards for his contribution to Indian journalism,” he said.
Accepting the award, Purie said he was delighted with the honour especially as these days media is “the best whipping boy’’. “We are the ones who create riots, create all the chaos in society; we are responsible for all the ills. Most often, the messenger is shot,” he underlined.
While noting that there are bad apples in every profession, he stressed that the whole sector or industry can not be condemned because of that. “Readers and viewers are very smart. They know where propaganda ends and real journalism begins,” he said.
Highlighting the role of media, he said that a free press is essential for the country and functioning of democracy. “A free press is essential for India, it is essential for democracy, especially when our democracy is not functioning so well. As you can see more debates are held on news channels than are held in Parliament,” he noted.
Calling journalism a noble profession as it carries a social responsibility just like doctors and teachers, Purie said seeking the truth to the best of one’s ability and presenting it objectively is the aim.
Doing so is even more important in today’s environment where there is an epidemic of fake news, which might get further aggravated by artificial intelligence. “Truth is becoming an endangered species and there is a tsunami of digital information and of course there is WhatsApp University where lots of people get unverified information from,” he noted, stressing that it is imperative that journalism has to step up and do its job honestly. “It is important for Indian democracy to survive,” he further said.
Likening himself to a gardener, he also thanked all the people who have worked with him over the last 48 years and continue to work with him and said, “All these talented people come and bloom in my garden and have made me look good.” He also thanked his family who has for the last 48 years lived with him on a 24-hour news cycle.
AIMA's Managing India Award is one of the most coveted business leadership award.
Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies was conferred the Corporate Citizen Award and RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India was felicitated with the Lifetime Contribution Award under the Managing India Award by AIMA. The awards were presented by India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.
“It is a great honour to give the awards to three very distinguished peopled who I have admired for a long time,” said Kant. Calling Purie the visionary behind India Today and India Today Group, Kant said he has reshaped journalism in India and has also been an inspiration for him.
Bhargava noted that Purie has made a huge impact on the lives of many people in the country and stressed that media should be celebrated and respected.